The Green Man in Cornwall
No one knows for certain what the image of the green man represents, but he can be found all over the British Isles and indeed all over the world. He is found in many old churches throughout Cornwall, mainly as wooden carvings, and at the very least, can be seen as an expression of folk-art. To many he is seen as a regenerative spirit in nature; the spirit of the forest and maybe a remnant of the old Celtic veneration of sacred portrayals of the human head.
The green man may have his Cornish roots in the mystery plays of the Cornish Ordinalia. In particular the medieval tale of Seth and Adam. In this context the Green Man depicts the head of Adam surrounded by the green shoots growing from three seeds of the tree of life, given to Seth by the angel protecting the Garden of Eden.
We intend to catalogue as many of these wonderful folkloric carvings as we can from across Cornwall.
The green man may have his Cornish roots in the mystery plays of the Cornish Ordinalia. In particular the medieval tale of Seth and Adam. In this context the Green Man depicts the head of Adam surrounded by the green shoots growing from three seeds of the tree of life, given to Seth by the angel protecting the Garden of Eden.
We intend to catalogue as many of these wonderful folkloric carvings as we can from across Cornwall.
Cornish Green Man Gallery
Click links below to view. More will be added as we find them!
