Thread by @friendschurches

For 700 years, three Green Men at St Jeromes, Llangwm Uchaf have silently sprouted soft foliage from their enigmatic mouths.

From floors to bosses, the Green Man is a popular presence in English and Welsh churches, but what did he mean to the people who portrayed him?

#thread

Was he a symbol of fertility? An ancient god bringing forth new life? Or was he something to be feared?

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The term 'Green Man', when applied to these creatures in churches, was first coined by Lady Raglan, whose article 'The Green Man in Church Architecture' appeared in the journal 'Folklore' in 1939. Previously, these fascinating forms were known rather drily as Foliate Heads.

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We wonder what name was used by the person who carved these faces in St Jerome's 700 years ago.

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Green Men span many centuries, countries and cultures, and the leafy creatures at Llangwm Uchaf may be derived from a Roman leaf mask that symbolised Man's relationship with nature.

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In the context of this Christian place of worship, vegetation springing from the Green Men's mouths seems to speak of the glories and rebirth of nature and life, of a long-lost paradise on Earth and the heavenly Paradise to come.

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📸: St Jeromes, Llangwm Uchaf, Monmouthshire