Transcript No Slide Title

A Green Man is a sculpture,
drawing or other representation
of a face surrounded by (or
made from) leaves. Branches or
vines may sprout from the
nose, mouth, nostrils or other
parts of the face, and these
shoots may bear flowers or
fruit. Commonly used as a
decorative architectural
ornament, Green Men are
frequently found on carvings in
churches and other buildings.
Found in many cultures around
the world, the Green Man is
often related to natural
vegetative deities springing up
in different cultures throughout
the ages.
A legendary creature
who roams the
woodlands of the
British Isles and
Europe. He usually is
depicted as a horned
man peering out of a
mask of foliage,
usually the sacred
oak. He is known by
other names such as
"Green Jack, "Jackin-the-Green" and
"Green George." He
represents spirits of
trees, plants and
foliage. He was
frequently depicted
in medieval art,
including church
decorations.
All around Western Civilization
the Green Man can be found,
from the Islamic culture, to the
Celtic, English, Indian, Russian,
German. The Green Man has
come largely to represent the
"Renaissance" or rebirth, in the
sense that the vegetative god is
reborn anew each spring. The
Green Man's stories have so
many faces and stories that no
single origin can be placed on
the symbol thus far.