The
Green Man
The Green Man is a symbol pre-Christian
in his origins, but later adopted by Gothic carvers and placed in thousands
of churches and cathedrals throughout Europe, from Ireland and Scotland
to Russia. He is usually depicted as a male head formed as a leaf mask
and is a legendary pagan deity who roams the woodlands of the British
Isles and Europe. He stands for humanity's kinship with trees and woods,
irrepressible life, and the cycle of renewal and birth. The Green Man
also represents the spirits of trees, plants and foliage, and is believed
to have rain making powers to foster livestock with lush meadows. He is
also known by other names such as Green Jack, Jack-in-the-Green
and Green George. Images of Green George
were frequently depicted in medieval art, including church decorations
where carvings with leaves growing from the sides of his mouth and covering
much of his face looked down on the congregation.
This is an extraordinary example of a pagan deity being used unreconstructed
by the Christian church. In The Green Man was (and is) the personification
of nature, dwelling in the woods (he is especially associated with
the oak tree) and wild places. He was portrayed in pagan festivals
as a young man dressed head to foot in greenery, who leads the festival
procession. In some parts he was dunked in a river to ensure plentiful
rain for the coming summer. It is also believed by some the Green Man
shares an affinity with the forest-dwelling fairies since green is the
fairy color. In some locals of the British Isles the fairies are called
Greenies and Greencoaties. He has been
linked with Puck, Robin Goodfellow,
Dionysus and Pan. He has also been seen
as the inspiration behind the Green Knight who challenged
Sir Gawain in Arthurian legend. Gawain was invited to cut off the Green
Knight's head; which he did, but the Green Knight
lived on.
The
Green Knight
…there
came in at the hall door one terrible to behold, of stature greater than
any on earth; from neck to loin so strong and thickly made, and with limbs
so long and so great that he seemed even as a half-etayn. And yet he was
but a man, only the mightiest that might mount a steed; broad of chest
and shoulders and slender of waist [his womb and his waist were worthily
small], and all his features of like fashion; but men marveled much at
his hue, for he rode even as a knight, yet was green all over.
For he was clad all in green, with a straight coat, and a mantle above; all decked and lined with fur was the cloth and the hood that was thrown back from his locks and lay on his shoulders. Hose had he of the same green, and spurs of bright gold with silken fastenings richly worked; and all his vesture was verily green. Around his waist and his saddle were bands with fair stones set upon silken work, ’twere too long to tell of all the trifles that were embroidered thereon—birds and insects in gay gauds of green and gold. All the trappings of his steed were of metal of like enamel, even the stirrups that he stood in stained of the same, and stirrups and saddle-bow alike gleamed and shone with green stones. Even the steed on which he rode was of the same hue, a green horse, great and strong, and hard to hold, with broidered bridle, meet for the rider.
The knight was thus gaily dressed in green, his hair falling around his shoulders; on his breast hung a beard, as thick and green as a bush, and the beard and the hair of his head were clipped all round above his elbows. The lower part of his sleeves were fastened with clasps in the same wise as a king’s mantle. The horse’s mane was crisp and plaited with many a knot folded in with gold thread about the fair green, here a twist of the hair, here another of gold. The tail was twined in like manner, and both were bound about with a band of bright green set with many a precious stone; then they were tied aloft in a cunning knot, whereon rang many bells of burnished gold. Such a steed might no other ride, nor had such ever been looked upon in that hall ere that time; and all who saw that knight spake and said that a man might scarce abide his stroke.
The knight bore no helme nor hawberg, neither pysan [gorget] nor breastplate, neither shaft nor schelde to smite nor to schwue [shield], but in one hand he had a holly-bough, that is greenest when the groves are bare, and in his other an axe, huge and uncomely, a cruel weapon in fashion, if one would picture it. The head was an ell-yard long, the metal all of green steel and gold, the blade burnished bright, with a broad edge, as well sharpened to shear as sharp razors. The steel was set into a strong staff, all bound round with iron, even to the end, and engraved with green in cunning work. A lace was twined about it, that looped at the head, and all adown the handle it was clasped with tassels on buttons of bright green richly broidered.
—Syr Gawayne and the Green Knight
Pan
God of herds, fertility and male sexuality, Pan has the horns and legs
of a goat and plays a syrinx, a pipe with seven reeds. An ancient
god, he has no moral or social aspect whatsoever, and is simply the embodiment
of pure, basic instinct. Some said that Pan taught Apollo
the art of prophecy. Pan especially loves mountains and
wild country. Pan has a dark aspect as well, causing
men and animals to go suddenly mad with terror in distant, lonely places.
His name is therefore the root word of "panic."
Puck
One of the most popular characters in English folklore of the last thousand
years has been the faerie, goblin, devil or imp known by the name of Puck
or Robin Goodfellow. The Welsh called him Pwca,
which is pronounced the same as his Irish incarnation Phouka,
Pooka or Puca.
These are far from his only names. Puck
would use his shape-shifting to make mischief. For example, the Phouka
would turn into a horse and lead people on a wild ride, sometimes dumping
them in water. The Welsh Pwca would lead
travels with a lantern and then blow it out when they were at the edge
of a cliff. Being misled by a Puck (sometimes
the legends speak of Pucks, Pookas
and Robin Goodfellows in the plural) was
known in the Midlands as being "pouk-ledden."
Robin Goodfellow is one of the faeries known as hobgoblins or just hobs. Hob is a short form for the name Robin or Robert ("the goblin named Robin".) Robin itself was a medieval nickname for the devil. Robin Goodfellow was not only famous for shape-shifting and misleading travelers. He was also a helpful domestic sprite much like the brownies. He would clean houses and such in exchange for some cream or milk. If offered new clothes, he'd stop cleaning. There are stories of the Phouka and Pwca doing similar deeds.
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The Charge Of The God Listen to the words of the Horned God, the Guardian of all things wild and free, and Keeper of the Gates of Death, whose Call all must answer: I
am the fire within your heart... The yearning of your Soul. |