The Green Man

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Description

Green Men are faces sprouting foliage that are found in churches, abbeys and cathedrals. They were popular figures adorning church architecture and furnishings in the Middle Ages, and enjoyed a second wave of popularity in the nineteenth-century Gothic Revival. Once thought to be of pagan origin, Green Men were in fact part of the new repertoire of architectural ornament that appeared in Norman churches in the twelfth century, the earliest examples of which were copied from manuscript illustrations. Few of these Green Men are actually men: most are masks, demons or animals, sometimes explicitly associated with the devil. Richard Hayman discusses the origins and definitions of these fascinating and often grotesque carvings, and traces their history in medieval and later churches. He also includes a list of places across Britain where examples of Green Men can be found.

Reviews

"Richard Hayman has made an excellent contribution to our wealth and increasing knowledge concerning these curious, lovable and conundrumic faces. His scholarship and knowledge of so many aspects of his research into the architectural history of churches and other buildings have blended together to give his readers considerable insight into the nature, role, background and history of such carved faces. The book is robust, has high quality photographs and easy text to read." --The Company of the Green Man

Author Bio

Richard Hayman is an architectural historian who has for many years been involved with the listing of historic buildings in Wales and England. He is the author of Wrought Iron and Church Misericords and Bench Ends, also published by Shire, and A Concise Guide to the Parish Church.