He stares down at us enigmatically from the corbels and capitals of churches across Europe –as well as from innumerable pub signs. Leaves and foliage issue from his mouth, or even sprout luxuriantly from his face. He is evoked in the leaps of English Morris Dancers –but he also pops up on the walls of a Jain temple in Rajasthan.
Though no-one knows for sure the real meaning of the Green Man, everyone who sets eyes on him understands that he stands for something very profound –indeed, archetypal- in our culture. He represents the fertility and fecundity of the harvest, perhaps –but also the process of death and rebirth, corruption and resurrection. Whatever his elusive significance, humankind's abiding fascination with the inscrutable Green Man has endowed our churches and temples with an astonishing array of carvings, stone heads, stained glass and paintings, by turns beautiful and sinister.
Mike Harding’s travels around Britain, and as far afield as Nepal and Borneo, have yielded this bestselling little book on the Green Man, from mediaeval to Victorian, both a magnificent photographic record and a definitive work in miniature on the strangest of mythical men.
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About the Author
Mike Harding is the author of A Guide to Tying North Country Flies and eight Little Books for Aurum, including the perennially successful books on the Green Man and Gargoyles. He is also a high-profile radio presenter with his weekly folk music show on BBC Radio 2, and hosts the annual BBC Folk Awards. He lives in West Yorkshire.
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Often labelled merely a 'grotesque' or a 'gargoyle', the Green Man can be found all over Western Europe and parts of Asia and North Africa. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Often labelled merely a 'grotesque' or a 'gargoyle', the Green Man can be found all over Western Europe and parts of Asia and North Africa. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By weatherwitch
Format:Hardcover
This small, compact hardback book is aimed to show the hidden world of the Green Man in the churches of Britain, Ireland & Europe & is neither biased towards Christian or Pagan interpretations of the Green Man. Priced very low for a hardback book, it is jammed with snippets of information & really is an absolute must.
Every other page has a full size colour picture with the explanatory page opposite also being interspersed with small colour pictures. Mike Harding, probably best known to most as a stand-up comic & for his Radio 2 folk music show has spent over 25 years searching for the Green Man both in Britain & elsewhere around the world.
Images shown are discussed within their context & tales of mythology & folklore are recounted as well. The Green Man appears on roof bosses, on pillars, on bench ends, misericords & in Borneo in church wall paintings. His spread is far yet his image remains essentially the same. The very unusual Green Man depicted as actually wearing jewellery by having a sun wheel around his neck at St Bartholomew's in Much Marcle is also featured in this book.
Whether you have just a vague interest in the Green Man or are a more serious student of his background, this is a book that you will surely want in your collection, you won't regret buying it.
Every other page has a full size colour picture with the explanatory page opposite also being interspersed with small colour pictures. Mike Harding, probably best known to most as a stand-up comic & for his Radio 2 folk music show has spent over 25 years searching for the Green Man both in Britain & elsewhere around the world.
Images shown are discussed within their context & tales of mythology & folklore are recounted as well. The Green Man appears on roof bosses, on pillars, on bench ends, misericords & in Borneo in church wall paintings. His spread is far yet his image remains essentially the same. The very unusual Green Man depicted as actually wearing jewellery by having a sun wheel around his neck at St Bartholomew's in Much Marcle is also featured in this book.
Whether you have just a vague interest in the Green Man or are a more serious student of his background, this is a book that you will surely want in your collection, you won't regret buying it.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By Andros
Format:Hardcover
For anyone interested in pagan subjects the Green Man is always there.
In this book by Harding you won't find much detail except, in the beautiful photographs taken by the author himself (or loaned by friends) of a great variety of heads from all around the world.
A must have little book.
In this book by Harding you won't find much detail except, in the beautiful photographs taken by the author himself (or loaned by friends) of a great variety of heads from all around the world.
A must have little book.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
very good book its obvious mr harding has travelled well i may well buy more of his books on similar works when i get the chance.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect Gift
I bought this book as a present for my brother last Christmas who was really pleased as it contains all the information he wanted on the the Green Man.
Published 3 months ago by Love books
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting read!
Great book if you want to know the basics behind the Green Man. Good photos and a genuinely interesting read!
Published 15 months ago by Silvia
5.0 out of 5 stars
Green man
A superb little book. Harding's photographs are clear and varied, drawing on his many travels. He has an excellent eye, and his selections are wonderful. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Autumnalred
5.0 out of 5 stars
Green man
What a lovely little book this is, I panicked because I didn.t think it was going to come in time for Christmas but it did, it arrived on Christmas eve, thank you so much. Read more
Published on 28 Dec 2010 by Mrs. P. A. Hobson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great little book
This is great book, I especially like the way that Mike has taken all the pictures of the Green Man himself, not only is he a great playwright, singer, rambler and historian, but... Read more
Published on 14 Dec 2000
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful little primer
A good beginning book on the green man. Very enjoyable reading. It would make a great gift.
Published on 15 Mar 1999
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