The Green Man in Britain

The Green Man in Britain examines how the modern idea of the Green Man developed from foliate heads and related carvings in British churches and cathedrals. Fran and Geoff Doel consider the possible meanings attached to these medieval images, while tracing connections with seasonal change, fertility and the natural world.

The book places the carvings alongside literary and customary traditions, including Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Robin Hood, Jack in the Green, the Castleton Garland and the Burry Man. Its gazetteer identifies more than 200 sites and almost 1,000 carvings, offering a practical record of examples across Britain and a concise account of the figure’s continuing place in folklore and cultural history.