New Articles from early 2011 onwards
You can also read my own personal blog here and my contributions to Women of Esoterica here
In its depiction the Woodwose, sometimes called the Wild Man, is very similar to the Green Man. Both appear in ancient mythology and have their origins in ancient paganism. And, since they became subsumed into Christianity in mediaeval times, both can often be found as decoration in Churches.
Whilst the Green Man, a pre-Christian fertility symbol, is usually depicted with the face half-covered in leaves and vines emanating from the mouth, the Woodwose is usually shown as a complete, part human, figure carrying a club with the limbs being leafy. It also often shows a thick beard and wears a cap. The Woodwose may also be shown holding the club in different positions. Sometimes this is on its side and sometimes it is raised. There is a theory that a raised club depicts the figure before it was converted to Christianity, but it’s probably more correct to believe that it was raised to ward off evil spirits.
The Woodwose, or Wild Man, appears in images right across the world. In Europe, and especially in Germany, it was used on coats of arms. In most European languages the name translates as Wild Man, although in Old English it was called wudewasa, and in Middle English as wodewose or woodehouse. But, regardless of its name, from the earliest of times Wild Men were connected with hairiness, and by the 12th Century they were habitually defined as being covered entirely with hair, with the exception being the parts of their faces above their long beards, their hands and feet, and the breasts and chins of females.
The earliest character of this type is Enkidu, who appears in the Babylonian legend known as The Epic of Gilgamesh, in which Enkidu derives his strength from being part human and part animal. There are also old traditional folk beliefs about Wild Men, in some of which it was thought that catching a Wild Man, making him drunk and tying him up, would force him to share all of his wisdom in exchange for his freedom.
Naturally, when Christianity arrived its adherents founds such beliefs extremely disturbing. And Augustine of Hippo fulminates against them in some of his writings.
As well as the part that mythology played, the mediaeval folklore surrounding Wild Men was influenced by the writings of ancient historians, such as Heroditus and Pliny; who were inclined to place the creatures in some far-off land. Although in mediaeval beliefs they were thought to exist on the boundaries of civilization, in the liminal zone. In other words they inhabited a place that does not truly exist, one that’s colonized by a marginal population such as criminals, hermits, hunters and the like.
And there is also the possibility that accounts of meetings between apes and men played their part in the beliefs surrounding Wild Men. Such stories were not taken as being true at the time as apes were then an unknown species.
An Internet search will produce many such tales, but the one that I know best is that related by Nick Redfern in his book Man-Monkey. I’ve mentioned that in one the articles on my old site, which can be read here:
http://kithraskrystalkave.org.uk/redeyes.html
The description is, in some ways, reminiscent of a Wild Man, although in this case it’s described as being more like a monkey. But, if you have’nt read Nick’s book you can obtain it here, in the USA:
http://astore.amazon.com/nickredf-20/detail/1905723164
And, in the UK here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Man-monkey-British-Bigfoot-Nick-Redfern/dp/1905723164/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314614967&sr=1-1
It wasn’t until the early mediaeval period that Wild Men were thought of as being truly human beings, but ones that had been driven wild due to madness. At this time, also, Celtic tales attribute poetic, or prophetic, powers to Wild Men. In Welsh tradition, especially, such powers are given to Myrddi, (a.k.a. Merlin), who at one point becomes mad and goes into a forest where he finds himself able to write prophetic poetry.
Mediaeval literature, and art, is full of Wild Men stories and icons and, whilst mostly portrayed as being mainly human, they are sometimes shown as crawling on all fours and attacking dogs.
Rather than being the true Wild Man of the Woods, who lives a feral life, it is possible that the Woodwose falls into the category of strange being that manifests itself into reality from time to time. If that is true then it may account for the occasional reports that still surface today.
So, having looked at the Woodwose, I’m now going to look at the Green Man.
Carved depictions of the Green Man can be found not only in churches but also in secular buildings. Plus, it is a common name for a public house, where it would appear on inn signs that, occasionally, show a full figure instead of simply a head.
The motif can be found right across the world and is, more often than not, related to natural vegetative divinities from throughout the ages. It is first and foremost a symbol of rebirth that represents the spring cycle of growth. From Asia to Europe there are representations of the image. From the 2nd Century to the modern day the Green Man can be associated with similar beliefs.
Usually these figures are male, although there are a very few Green Women, together with green cats, green demons, and green lions. The Green Man can appear in different forms, although there are three types that are normally represented. These are:
The Disgorging Head: which emits foliage from the mouth.
The Foliate Head: which is entirely covered in green leaves.
The Bloodsucker Head: which has foliage emerging from all the facial outlets.
The first person to use the term Green Man was Lady Raglan, wife of Major FitzRoy Richard Somerset, 4th Baron Raglan (1885–1964). At one time he was the President of the Folk Law Society. And, in 1939 his wife, Lady Raglan, created the phrase Green Man in her one and only article that appeared in the Folklore journal. She invented the term to define the leaf-decorated heads seen in English churches, and to this day her theory concerning where they come from is still discussed.
On the surface it seems these images are pagan, but they can often be found in ecclesiastical buildings from the 11th Century onwards. Many look either unsettling or mystical, which is sometimes thought to show the vitality of the Green Man in that it was capable of enduring as a character from pre-Christian traditions. This was probably due to the fact that in early Christianity old symbols were often incorporated into the newer religion. And, from around the 14th Century on they were also included simply as decoration in things such as manuscripts, stained glass, and other items.
In Britain the icon became fashionable again during the 19th Century where it was used in architecture and Arts and Crafts. Moreover, to this day, the image is still used as decoration in many parts of the world by artists using many different types of media, including literature.
The expression shown on the faces of many Green Men found in churches seems to suggest some form of torture. It may be that such expressions were to remind people of sin and that their souls would burn in hell if they committed such transgressions. As the image also represents renewal and rebirth, in a church the image might be a sign of resurrection where it appears, especially when found on tombs. It might also be a sign of creation. Or, it may just be a sign of nature and fertility.
It is thought that the Celts adorned their victim’s head with leaves, which might lead us to speculate that the Green Man has Celtic origins; however the first depictions of Green Men come from Classical Roman times. But, if it is Celtic then, where it is shown next to, or above, doors it might be to protect the building from evil spirits.
However, the problem remains that in the very early years of the Church, and when it took over in Britain, all pagan images were destroyed and banned. So it’s hard to see how the Green Man should then have been included in church architecture. And yet, there are no accounts from Mediaeval Times that tell us how the image of the Green Man came to be included in churches.
Regardless of what the Green Man was intended to represent in church architecture current congregants see him as the archetype of our oneness with the earth. And, for Wiccans and Neo-pagans he portrays an earth-centred idea of male divinity.
The Green Man probably arose from the mythology of deities in very early times. Perhaps, in the UK, he arose from the Celtic god Lud. There is, for example, a similar image resembling a partly leafy mask found in the middle of a sliver salver from the 4th Century. This item was part of the Mildenhall Treasure found in Suffolk at an old Roman villa. It is thought to represent Neptune, with the foliage being seaweed.
The Celts also believed that the head was the seat of the soul, and they therefore reverenced it. Which reason was probably why it is thought that they wreathed them with greenery; especially the heads of those who had died in battle, together with those of their forefathers. Plus, there is a connection between the use of swirling streamers by the Celts and those often seen on the Green Man.
Some of the characteristics of the Green Man can be found in some of the figures from mythology, such as John Barleycorn, the Green Knight, and Puck, amongst others. It is even proposed that Robin Hood comes from the same source. And, in modern times, perhaps even Peter Pan, and the original Father Christmas who, until not that long ago, was dressed in green rather than red, and shown garlanded in ivy.
Today, the symbolism of the Green Man has come to mean the relationship between man and nature. It reveals an essential basic pattern deep in the human mind. It has become an archetype that is common to all and represents a profoundly sympathetic feeling for, and with, nature. This has probably arisen from our current concerns about the ecology, and environment, of Planet Earth.