Those who know me will know that I have an interest in the Green Man. Whenever I visit older churches and assuming I can get inside [legally] I always look out for the Green Men on the walls and arches in the church.
Sometimes they're carved in wood as at Tideswell ...
or as at Ault Hucknall, where he's sticking his tongue out ...
Usually though they're carved in stone. Here's one from the cloisters of Norwich cathedral ...
You have to look up to see him as he is in the celing looking down on those who pass below.
More locally I spotted this one, a corbel in the church at Alstonefield ...
There are many, many more though I haven't photographed as many as I would like.
I've recently been reading Clive Hicks's book on the Green Man and on the front of the book there's a photograph he took of a Green Man in Bamberg Cathedral. This is a Green Man you ought to see if you haven't already. If you click on this link ~ http://www.clivehicks.co.uk/seeforyourself/greenman.html ~ you'll see the photograph to which I am referring.
I don't think I have ever seen such an unnerving Green Man before. It must have something to do with his eyes which appear to be staring straight at you. Or perhaps it's those lips ...
