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Why "Green Man"
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The Green Man or Foliate Man is a character from Celtic
mythology. He is perhaps the only pre-Christian figure that snuck into
the great cathedrals of England and western Europe -- usually hidden in a
frieze or peeking out at the base of a column. Among his other duties,
the Green Man is the bringer of spring -- if necessary dragging spring out
of the forest while holding the dying winter at bay. Even today in
rural England and Wales, the villages mark the vernal Equinox with a
festival honoring the Green Man. A villager dressed in an elaborate
wickerwork costume parades from the forest to the village accompanied by the
village children and Morris dancers. Bringing spring seems like such a good idea to me that I adopted the Green Man as my totem. (Besides, my wife says that I kind of look like him.) The green man to the left is from an illustration in a very old book -- alas, I have no idea where I found it or where it is now. The one on my home page is based on a ceramic green man from England that my son and daughter-in-law gave me.
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