The Green Man is a folklore figure that appears in carvings and other depictions across Europe and the Near East. Most often it is represented by a face made of leaves, or with leaves sprouting from the mouth, nose, eyes or ears. It may represent fertility or a mystic Man of the Woods. In England the Green Man is most often seen in carvings in wood or stone in churches. Medieval masons and wood carvers, and medieval clergy if it comes to that, had no qualms about reproducing images of pagan figures in Christian buildings. This example is the decoration of a capital in
Grange Court, the former market house that was converted into a habitation in Leominster, Herefordshire.
photo © T. Boughen Camera: Sony DSC-RX100
