Green Man?

[Tigerlily]

Does anyone know who the Green Man is or the Green Lady?

I was talking to this non-pagan who said his pagan friend believed in the Green Man.... :whatgives

[Pure Ahimsa]

Well, I was sent a Green Man statue piece from my Great Uncle who is a Druid. The Green Man is a wild and free "God" in the Forest, when the first Cathedrals were built, the builders were Pagan and thats why you see a lot of the Green Man Statues on olde Cathedrals.

[Suzette]

And also, isn't it the Green Man who courts the May Queen at Beltane?

[Pure Ahimsa]

I think so. Hehe

[Fang of Loki]

The Green Man (http://www.mikeharding.co.uk/greenman/greenindex.html) is believed by some to be a representation of the deity Pan.

[Romani Vixen]

tigerlad said what I was going to.

I've been drawn to him, but havn't actually started working with him yet.

[Phoenix Risingstar]

The Green Man (http://www.mikeharding.co.uk/greenman/greenindex.html) is believed by some to be a representation of the deity Pan.

Thanks for the link.

[Fang of Loki]

No problem.

Your welcome.

[kissesree]

Pan and Gia I think:whatgives

[Mòrag Elasaid Ní Dhòmhnaill]

The problem with the Green Man as Pan theory is that depictions of the Green Man are found throughout Europe including areas where Pan was not worshipped and a version of him can be found in India and Malasyia, definitely not Roman. It's not very likely that they were one and the same. In fact he is found most commonly in England (most are from the 11th century on and are found in churches, sometimes outnumbering depictions of Christ), though he is also found in Scotland, Wales, a very few in Ireland, as well as Spain, Hungary, Poland, Italy, France and Holland. There are 2nd century CE carvings found in Jain temples in Rajasthan. However, the key point is the first images than can without a doubt be termed Green Man images date to 2nd century Rome on burial tombs, after Christianity had taken hold. That doesn't rule him out as a pagan depiction of a god, justmeans that it was a depiction they weren't making prior to the advent of Christianity.

Here are a couple of good links that delve into the history of the Greenman:

http://www.mikeharding.co.uk/greenman/greenindex.html
http://www.indigogroup.co.uk/edge/greenmen.htm
http://www.btinternet.com/~breinton.morris/WhoistheGreenMan.htm