Usually referred to in works on architecture as foliate heads or
foliate masks, carvings of the Green Man may take many forms,
naturalistic or decorative. The simplest depict a man's face
peering out of dense foliage. Some may have leaves for hair,
perhaps with a leafy beard. Often leaves or leafy shoots are shown
growing from his open mouth and sometimes even from the nose and
eyes as well. In the most abstract examples, the carving at first
glance appears to be merely stylised foliage, with the facial
element only becoming apparent on closer examination.
Superficially the Green Man would appear to be pagan, perhaps a
fertility figure or a nature spirit, similar to the woodwose (the
wild man of the woods), and yet he frequently appears, carved in
wood or stone, in churches, chapels, abbeys and cathedrals, where
examples can be found dating from the 11th century through to the
20th century.
In Wicca, the Green Man has often been used as a representation
of the Horned God, a syncretic deity inclusive of ancient pagan
gods such as the Celtic Cernunnos and the Greek Pan.
Disclaimer:
Do not approach this series lightly. If this were only a 500'
bushwhack, I would call it hellish. The roots will trip you, the
branches will shred you and poke your eyes, and the insects will
consume you. But it's not 500'. It's over 12 bloody miles! I highly
recommend you bring snake boots, lots of water, long pants, long
sleeve shirt, lots of water, good hat, pokey stick, lots of water,
spare everything, bug spray, lots of water, writing utensils, cell
phone, lots of water.
Did I mention bring lots of water?
You may find a laminated clue slip in this cache. If you do, you
might want to solve the riddle. This will help you locate the Gaia
puzzle cache nearby. Please leave clue slips in the caches you find
them in.
