Irish Green Men

Happy St. Patrick's Day -- Tis the Wearin' o' the Green or Green Man?
The famous Irish "Book of Kells" has numerous illustrations of men and beasts disgorging vegetation.  The Book of Kells, housed at Trinity college in Dublin, Ireland can now be seen online at this link: http://digitalcollections.tcd.ie/home/index.php?DRIS_ID=MS58_003v

http://books.google.com/books?id=xJ3Ppecdh14C&printsec=frontcover

 

The above book has some terrific information  on Ireland and the Green Man.  See pages 211 and 212.  I've only had a chance to read portions of the book, but am looking forward to reading the complete volume in the next week.  The reviews are excellent.

As I think literally of the "Wearing o' the Green" my thoughts return to Zeleni Jurae of a previous
post: http://thegreenmanseries.blogspot.com/2012/09/zeleni-jurij.html

and 'green' costuming at: http://www.thegreenmanseries.blogspot.com/2012/10/green-man-masquerade-part-1.html

Slainte!

Of the Green Man and War

When I first became aware that the Green Man was something that was real and not a prickling in the recesses of my imagination, I found Kathleen Basford’s wonderful book The Green Man which is comprised of photographs of Green Man (a.k.a. : the Foliate Head) from around the world.  Some of her photographs are from ancient Iran.  I can’t help but wonder if they still exist or have been destroyed in recent years by warring factions.  Those thoughts take me to the Urkraine and the increasing possibility of invasion and war and their tradition with the Green Man.

One of the traditions in the Ukraine is that of St. George’s Day.  Gary Varner, author of The Mythic Forest, the Green Man and the Spirit of Nature  discusses St. George’s day where Spring will be reborn.  In many cultures it is said that “George will bring Spring.”  Traditionally a tree will be felled on the eve of St. George and decorated with vines and flowers and carried through the town.  Fields will be blessed and the continuing tradition of the Green Man and humankind of birth, death and rebirth will continue. 

I can’t help but wonder how this tradition can flourish in the travesty of potential war. Will tradition survive or will it be blown to pieces like the antiquities in the middle East?  Perhaps it is very much like the Green Man of birth, death and rebirth.  My hope is that like the blade of grass or weed that makes its way through a crack in the sidewalk, that Green (and good) will conquer over the winter and the dark.  I hope so and hope is a seed.

And though my written thoughts may be brief, my heart and head are full of thoughts for the Urkraine people at this time.  Here’s to Spring! Here’s to Green George! Here’s to the brave people of the Ukraine!

Gary Varner:

http://books.google.com/books?id=fIZus87KLPYC&pg=PA125&lpg=PA125&dq=ukraine+green+man&source=bl&ots=3gQwzfifqk&sig=4S0Wi2CWbqVWn3BWR2xqNfPiUQ8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=qKQVU_XFD8WNkAeJ9YHIAQ&ved=0CEsQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=ukraine%20green%20man&f=false

http://www.amazon.com/Mythic-Forest-Green-Spirit-Nature/dp/0875864341/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1393929260&sr=8-8&keywords=kathleen+basford

 

Kathleen Basford's book: 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Green-Man-Kathleen-Basford/dp/0859914976/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393929260&sr=8-1&keywords=kathleen+basford

 

More on St. George: http://www.folklore.ee/folklore/nr1/georg.htm

 

 

 

Green Men in warmer climes

As the winter winds still blow with bluster and might, I was surfing youtube and came across this video:

and

As Spock would say, "Fascinating."