Mabon

As fruits ripen and our harvest is lush and verdant, thoughts turn towards the ripening and the turn towards the cold winter on this vernal equinox.  There is another Green Man related figure -- Mabon that is associated with the vernal equinox and a festival by the name Mabon.  Mabon, according to "The Goddess and the Green Man" (http://www.goddessandgreenman.co.uk/mabon):

is a [sic] festival now named after the the God of Welsh mythology, Mabon. He is the Child of Light and the son of the Earth Mother Goddess,

Here is another link to information on the pagan holiday of Mabon: http://wicca.com/celtic/akasha/mabon.htm

This site states that this festival honors the Green Man: The Druids call this celebration, Mea'n Fo'mhair, and honor the The Green Man, the God of the Forest, by offering libations to trees. Offerings of ciders, wines, herbs and fertilizer are appropriate at this time. Wiccans celebrate the aging Goddess as she passes from Mother to Crone, and her consort the God as he prepares for death and re-birth.

http://www.debiwolfreeves.co.uk/wicca/sabbats-esbats/mabon

**n.b. - I am not pagan, but hold great respect for the Earth Religion.

Green Man / Leaf Man

With the advent of hurricane Sandy and its wild winds along with our usual November gales, leaves have been spiraling down in a whimsical ballet and carpeting the ground with brilliant color.  The sound of raking and mowers grinding up the leaves nearly drown out the crunch and swish as one walks through the fallen leaves. 

There are two wonderful children's books that are Green Man or rather Leaf Man related.  Lois Ehlert has a fabulous children's book entitled: Leaf Man
It's quite a whimsical take on the Green/Leaf Man.  Ehlert's books' graphics are a wonder.

Another wonderful story of a Leaf Men and the bugs going on a quest to safe the garden is: The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs by William Joyce.

  In this story, the Leaf Men help an old woman and her garden by setting the world back round to order.  The Leaf Men and the garden insects defend the garden from the evil Spider Queen.  It is a mythic tale of loss and recovery.  (and I will now bite my tongue and not wax poetic on the birth, death, rebirth theme again)  Joyce is an amazing artist, animator and storyteller.  His short film "The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore" won an academy award. See:  http://moonbotstudios.com/

Autumn's Green Man

In my section of the world, the leaves are changing from green to brilliant hues of orange, red and gold.  Festivals abound at this time of year and I was lucky enough to find references to an autumnal Green Man ... otherwise known as "The Berry Man."  Below are some photos and links:

 from: http://www.projectbritain.com/calendar/january/hollyman.html

 

http://www.thelionspart.co.uk/octoberplenty/

 

If you can get to London in the next few weeks, here is information on a festival with "The Berry Man:"

Outside Shakespeare's Globe

Saturday 20 October 2012, 21h00 till Sunday 21 October 2012, 00h00

Organized by : Tamsin Lewis

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Description

The October Plenty Festival is an urban harvest festival, celebrating British produce, tradition and independent farming with song, dance, games and plays.
The Festival begins with music and dance on the Bankside at Shakespeare's Globe where you will be joined by the 12 feet tall Corn Queene, the fiddle playing Bear and The BerryMan who offers libations for the coming year. The whole assembly then dances a farandole to Borough Market where there will be story telling in the Apple Orchard; a play performed on the cart-stage; music, dance, apple bobbing, conkers and the annual Execution of John Barley Corn. The market will be open for buying some of the best food and drink available in London.
This is a truly unique and somewhat eccentric event, the like of which you will not see elsewhere. And best of all - it's FREE!


The October Plenty programme:

The Corn Queene.
A huge Corn Queene effigy heavy with 'Plenty' - wheat, barley and other grains, and apples, root vegetables and foliage from the Borough Market - appears in a procession around the front of the Globe, Bankside, with the Company of actors and the time-honoured Hobby Horse in attendance, strung with cakes and loaves and led by the Berry Man.

The Berry Man.
The Berry Man - our Autumn incarnation of the original Green Man - decked with wild fruits and foliage, leads the company. He carries an Apple Tree to where it will be placed within the Bankside area, with general songs and music on the street for all.

The procession.
We then move through the streets to the Borough Market. There in the Green Market there is time to savour the delights on offer: soul cakes, apple biscuits, conker fights, cider from the New Forest, apple bobbing, a great beer selection and the wonderful market stalls as well as more dancing.

The Play.

The Story Orchard.
A glade of young English apple trees creates a space for children to gather. There they can re-clothe the trees with green wishes (paper apples) and listen to stories about apples, markets, harvest time and London sparrows!

There is a tasting table of old apple types from London by Brogdale Horticultural Trust with decorations created at Roots and Shoots, the Lambeth community gardens environment project. http://www.wherevent.com/detail/Tamsin-Lewis-October-Plenty