Welcome Back, everyone, and Blessed Beltane for any Pagans out there. In the spirit of Beltane or May Day on Friday, I have brought you the legend of The Green Man, a personal favorite of mine.
Let's go. The Green Man refers to a character with leaves covering his face. The vegetation is often coming from his mouth, nose, or eyes. The Green Man has several different forms and has been around since at least 400 BCE. Archaeologists found cave drawings of a leafy-faced man from this time; however, the entity of The Green Man is believed to be much older than that. As I said, there are many different forms of The Green Man, and chances are, you've seen him.
(Source: Historic UK) His image, commonly found engraved in stone or wood, can be found in gardens, on Cathedrals, and throughout Europe, Iceland, and Germany. The Green Man has three primary forms. The first form, or the chill version, depicts The Green Man with a friendly, fluffy, leafy face. The second form also referred to as the "disgorging head," according to Wikipedia. The shape means that he is puking veggies, but seriously, vegetation is coming out of his mouth. The third form or the final form of The Green Man is the "bloodsucker head," which means veggies are just growing out of everywhere- his mouth, nose, eyes, everywhere. Though The Green Man predates Christianity, he is seen as a bridge between the religions. His image has been seen in various Churches throughout Europe. For example, St. Jerome's Church in Llangwn, Monmouthshire in South-East Wales. This isn't the only example I'm going to give you guys, but I would suggest Googling Green Man images to see all the variations; it's pretty cool. During the Renaissance Period, The Green Man could be found in books, art, and stained glass. In 1887, Numa Guyot made a bookplate with the image of The Green Man. The Green Man is also found in Nepal, India, and Jerusalem. I find it fascinating that all of these places have a shared entity, and it's not like they just called up their buddy in Nepal and told them about a leafy-faced dude. There has to be something more profound. Why do so many areas have the same legends with slight variations? It definitely makes me believe the stories more. How about you? Any thoughts? Okay, The Green Man is this veggie head guy, so what does he do? What is his purpose?
(Source: Tumblr) He represents the life cycle- death and rebirth, and I will share a story with you in just a bit discussing that so hang on. The Green Man is the son of a Goddess and has many names- Osiris, Dionysos, Dumuzi. He represents mid-spring when the earth is the most fertile. With that being said, it should come as no surprise that The Green Man represents nature and is linked to Tree Worship. Tree Worship is linked to Druids, a path in the Pagan community, and the first to acknowledge this spirit. In the Pagan community, this character plays a huge role. The Green Man also is known as the Horned God of Winter or The Holly Lord and is the predominant diety during Beltane, along with his lover, The Maiden Queen. I know that was a lot to take in but hang in there. Beltane, also known as May Day, falls on the first of May and is a big day for Pagans. This holiday mirror's Samhain, or Halloween and is a time when the vale between worlds is the thinnest. Beltane represented when the Horned God and the Maiden Queen came together in sacred marriage. After they came together, the world/ spring was born. But first the Horned God but be reborn, and this happens at the hands of the Maiden Queen's handmaidens. They kill the old Horned God, allowing him to be reborn as a young Oak Lord.
(Source: Pinterest) Since the God and Goddess were married on this day, it is common for couples in the Pagan community to participate in Handfasting. Think of this as the Pagan version of marriage in which the couple's hands are tied together with red ribbon, so symbolize coming as one. Even outside of the Pagan community, Spring wedding/ May weddings are common. It seems we have not forgotten all of the old ways. During this time, individuals create May Poles, which are poles dressed in ribbons by dancers. This isn't just a fun activity; there's the symbolism behind it. The pole, as you can imagine, represents the Green Man's penis, and the ribbons are the vagina of the Maiden Queen. As the dancers weave fabrics around the pole, the Green Man has impregnated the Maiden Queen, also known as the May Queen and the Goddess of Spring.
(Source: Pinterest)
The pole isn't the only thing at these Beltane affairs; this time is also known as the Fire Festivals in honor of the Sun. It is common to jump over fire for purification and fertility on this day. And let's be honest, it's just fun.
Anyway, that is about it for this story.
With COVID-19 still out there, the Beltane festivals were canceled this year, but I figured I could at least talk about them and their origin.
Until next time,
-Tye
Always Cite Those Sources:
“Green Man.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Apr. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Man.
“Green Man Legend and Mythology.” Spirit of the Green Man, spiritofthegreenman.co.uk/green-man-legend-mythology/.
Tesh, Emily. “When Is a Myth Not a Myth: The Origins of the Green Man.” Tor.com, 10 June 2019, www.tor.com/2019/06/11/the-green-man-when-is-a-myth-not-a-myth/.
“The Goddess & The Green Man.” Beltane | The Goddess & The Green Man, www.goddessandgreenman.co.uk/beltane.
“The Green Man.” Historic UK, www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-Green-Man/.
Comentarios