Do you know the Green Man?
The face of the Green Man is found in gardens, on buildings, and in art throughout Western societies, but few people know any more what they really are looking at when they see this face. The Green man is recognized as having a powerful face framed by a full beard and long hair, sweeping out in great curls.
Often, the beard and hair of the Green Man is shown in the form of great leaves, especially those of an oak tree. This form of the motif reveals the nature of the Green Man. The nature of the Green Man is nature – or, to be precise, the growing aspect of nature.
Ancient Celtic culture divided the year into waxing and waning halves, represented by two kings, the Holly King and the Oak King. The Holly King represents decay, and the Oak King represents regeneration.
How is the Green Man connected to the Oak King and the Holly King? Some say that it’s the Oak King who is the Green Man, whereas others say that the Holly King and the Oak King represent two aspects of the Green Man.
Whichever version you prefer, it’s clear that the Green Man is a symbol of the time of year which is soon to come. The snows still fall. The nights are still cold. The branches of northern trees still hold quivering sap within swelling buds, but those buds soon will burst.
Celebrate the Green Man, and you celebrate this time of year, and the anticipation of the months of flower and open bud soon to come.
Join in the celebration of the rejuvenation of the natural world with one of these two Green Man buttons:
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