The wheel of the year is turning toward Spring. It’s time to begin again, and welcome life anew. As the new bits of green arise from the soil and branches, as the sharp spikes of daffodils and the beautiful, chaste blossoms of snow-drops grace the landscape, I am ready for renewal and to resurrect this blog again.
As an old friend, the Green Man seems to magically appear to me in one way or another. I recently discovered a video from the BBC that I had not seen before.
Mike Harding’s Book on Green Man
One of the things that intrigues me from this video is the rise in Green Man carvings between the 13th and 14th centuries. I remember reading this from books by Mike Harding and his website.
I am now determined to find out more about medieval life to see if I can ferret out a reason for the rise in carvings during those times. I will share any findings in a later blog post.
Other interesting features in this video are the slides from Kathleen Basford’s book The Green Man and additional information about the author.
Kathleen Basford is one of the premier Green Man scholars. I’m sorry to say she is gone from us. In her obituary fromThe Guardian, quotes Kathleen Basford stating: “She became a supporter of the arts and environment charity Common Ground, which helps people to explore the links between culture and nature; she donated all her Green Man photographs to its care. The figure combined her passions for art and nature, fueling her interest in unity and holism – ‘without green leaves, we would not have heads to think with… leaves are what makes heads possible. The Green Man has a most powerful dynamic – the image never loses vitality. We need him so much today. For some of, us he symbolizes the spiritual dimension of nature.’”
Kathleen Basford was an environmental champion and integral in the environmental group Common Ground. You can read Kathleen’s obituary from The Guardian.
So as the green leaves begin peeping, budding and burgeoning this spring, keep an eye out for the Green Man. You will never know where he might pop up. Listen for the rustle of leaves. Look for the twinkle in his eyes. Know in your heart the Green Man will be with us
