The Unlikely Origins of the Green Man

Ever wondered where the Green Man actually came from?
With leafy hair and beard and vines sprouting from his mouth and nostrils, it’s easy to see the Green Man as some ancient wood spirit from our pagan past.
But it turns out he’s not pagan at all.. He’s Christian! 😮

Historically, Green Men are unknown in Europe until the 11th Century, when Christian monks began painting them into the margins of their manuscripts, often amid interlaced Celtic and Saxon artwork. Later, these Green Men began appearing in the wood and stonework of churches and cathedrals.

Some historians point to late Roman art for the inspiration behind these strange foliate heads, while others suggest thay ultimately hail from Asia Minor or even India.

Whatever the case, it is a strange quirk of fate that the Christian Green Man has now become an emblem of modern pagan religion, much as the (pagan) Easter Bunny🐰 has come to represent the Christian festival of Easter..

See our Green Man range here:
https://cornrigs.uk/product-category/green-man/

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