The GREENMAN (& GREENWOMAN)

In the late 1980’s I moved to a small village on the edge of the Somerset Levels: two pubs and a Post Office…no streetlights, often isolated by floods in the winter. Coming from the safe, comfy suburbs I found the confrontation with The Seasons almost overwhelming: the melancholy of Autumn, the darkness of Winter and the outrageous verdant fecundity of Spring. 

In exploring the corners and byways of this new region I became aware of the character of the Greenman cropping up frequently in roof bosses and misericords of churches, cathedrals and abbeys. Who was this mysterious creature?

About this time my job in illustration took a bit of a dip: the arrival of Photoshop meant Art Directors could easily, quickly and cheaply manipulate photographs and produce pleasing images without employing awkward, argumentative artists. As a middle-ranking illustrator I suddenly found I had a lot less work and a lot more time on my hands. 

So, rather than sit idle and wait for the bailiffs I kept my hands busy by creating a few Greenmen of my own. By a stroke of great good fortune I found a factory locally which made resin castings: using Cotswold stone dust as a filler which gave the items the look and heft of real stone. The owner, Tod James, showed infinite kindness and patience guiding me through the rudiments of sculpting and mould making until we had an appealing, shop-ready product.

The range proved surprisingly popular and sold widely (a few cathedrals still carry a few items 30 years on!) – (and has been even more widely copied) – but it saved my bacon during the downturn and took me on to explore the subject of ‘The Seasons’ more widely.

…And ‘The Greenman’: Why? What is it? Why does it appear so widely in churches? I’ve never heard a satisfactory explanation why something so ostensibly pagan should be seen so widely in a Christian place of worship. Personally I think it may have something to do with rebirth and renewal – using the Season’s cycle as a metaphor for the Resurrection. A sacrificed head spurts forth foliage from his mouth…Sacrifice, Death, Rebirth – well it’s as good an explanation as anything else!

…And ‘The Greenwoman’?– you don’t see many of them….I think, perhaps, that’s something I may have invented…