Recently I visited Norwich Cathedral, intrigued by the fact that it possesses more medieval bosses than any other church in Christendom. In total over one thousand sculpted and colourfully painted scenes from the Bible are depicted upon its ceilings, including many examples of the 'Green Man' in its cloisters.
The Green Man is an elusive figure in Christian iconography. Often portrayed as a man with foliage spouting abundantly from his mouth or peeping from behind vegetable growth, lurking or hidden from immediate view, there is no real explanation as to why this clearly pagan symbol frequents Christian churches.
Its been proposed that the Green Man represents the natural cycle of mortal life, birth and death, or perhaps is the spirit or god of the yearly renewal of life; no-one really knows why this pagan symbol can be found in many Christian churches; its mythological meaning has been lost in the mists of time and scientific literalism. Equally intriguing is the fact that during the iconoclasm of the Reformation, when images of God, the Saints and the Virgin were gouged, defaced and broken in many Churches, images of the Green Man remained unscathed.
Its been proposed that the Green Man represents the natural cycle of mortal life, birth and death, or perhaps is the spirit or god of the yearly renewal of life; no-one really knows why this pagan symbol can be found in many Christian churches; its mythological meaning has been lost in the mists of time and scientific literalism. Equally intriguing is the fact that during the iconoclasm of the Reformation, when images of God, the Saints and the Virgin were gouged, defaced and broken in many Churches, images of the Green Man remained unscathed.
Norwich Cathedral did not escape from the iconoclasm of the Reformation. Bishop Joseph Hall (1574-1656) described the events which took place in 1643 at Norwich Cathedral thus-
'Lord, what work was here! What clattering of glasses! What beating down of walls! What tearing up of monuments! What pulling down of seats! What wresting out of irons and brass from the windows and graves... and what a hideous triumph on the market-day before all the country, when, in a kind of sacrilegious and profane procession, all the organ-pipes, vestments, both copes and surplices, together with the leaden cross which had been newly sawn down from over the Greenyard pulpit, and the service-books and singing-books... were carried to the fire in the public marketplace; a lewd wretch walking before the train in his cope trailing in the dirt, with a service book in his hand, imitating in an impious scorn the tune, and usurping the words of the litany used formerly in the church... the cathedral open on all sides ... filled with musketeers.. drinking and tobacconing as freely as if it had turned alehouse.'
Colour along with number is primordial of all symbols and a vast subject to discourse upon. The colour green is associated with naivete in colloquial speech and more importantly, with ecological awareness and the growing political movement for the responsible care of the planet.
O blessed green, which givest birth to all things, whence know that no vegetable and no fruit appears in the bud but that it hath a green colour. Likewise know that the generation of this thing is green, for which reason the Philosophers have called it a bud.'
Do you know the dating of any / all of the renovations or restorations in Norwich Cathedral? With the Renaissance and printed books, even when hand-colored, on down to color lithography, there were books reproducing illuminated Mss. as well as books of the decorative arts intended for the use of architectural restoration and neo-Gothic buildings. By the end of the 17th century important painting from Rome and Pompeii were revealed and aroused great interest, as you can see in the painted vaults of the Villa Giulia (but that is Julius III). These were very influential. The faces, even the one with a lolling tongue, that you show look post medieval, though Late Medieval illuminated books themselves had extremely 'educated' elaborated borders.
ReplyDeleteThat wouldn't necessarily alter the meaning of the green men faces, only introduce an intermediate stage in transmission of the motif. There are acanthus and other leaved faces in the decorative elements at Ephesos in the Late Classical through Empire periods, for example (just to name those lying there in the open). I think that between their delightful decorative value and their obvious general meaning, celebrating Nature, physis, Norwich can have gotten prototypes wherever they wanted.
Of course, if I am wrong and they are actually, as preserved, 15th century, just tell me. I don't have any books on Norwich. The bosses are lovely and delightful in any case.
these are wonderful ,love fact there so fresh looking and that pagan symbols can be in a cathedral ,all the best stu
ReplyDeleteHi Stu!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoy seeing these images!
HI Pat!
ReplyDeleteYes they are all of medieval origin, perhaps to instruct and amuse those waiting on business with Cathedral authorities, though obviously they have been restored in colouration.
I was attempting to avoid mention of Sir T.B. for once but in fact late in his life he compiled a long inventory and account of the artifacts of Norwich Cathedral entitled 'Repertorium', a valuable document for understanding it's history.
I believe there is more on-line info available on the bosses at the Norwich Cathedral site.
I think the earliest mention of a green man is at Trier 4th c.
Thanks for your informative comment which I shall absorb, but to my knowledge they are indeed medieval.
I can't figure out how to add to a comment, as Kevin suggested, so I'll just put the addendum (from an e-mail, here:
ReplyDeleteThe thing that strikes me as perhaps later in Norwich's is NOT the type or its meaning but the kind of shading in color of the faces within the greenery, almost as if they had had delightful fun in putting likenesses of bishops and deacons and donors into their greenery on some occasion of refreshing the faces. Since, as you say, they are in the cloister arcades, not in the nave or the sanctuary, there would be no reason why not.
The carvings on the undersides of choir seats, misericords, right in the sanctuary, indeed are often surprising to us in their subject matter. The reason is usually, I have read, mainly fun.
I suspect the only major diffrence between the wild man and the Green man is the modern mind and its modern concept of species.
ReplyDeleteHi Jeb!
ReplyDeleteWell there are pubs named both the Wild Man and the Green Man!
The Wild Man was I believe a name given to various 'pets', or 'savages', mysterious people who lived in woods and were adopted by Royalty.
In contrast the Green Man is the name given to a mythic, fertility figure from a remote past.
The wild man is also a figure from the remote past with a relationship with fertility figures. What you are describing comes somewhat later.
ReplyDeleteBut as you suggest looking at the origins of a tradition does not get you very far when you start to look at it in a particular context.
The context for a lot of what is thought about the green man is the mid 20th century when the term first becomes popular due to Kathleen Basford's rather nice study of the most widespread motif in medieval sculpture, which she choose to term the Green Man.
Hi Jeb!
ReplyDeleteYou're right. It was a 20th century interpretation and Victorian Neo-Gothic revival which prettified the image.
I do mention their connection with ancient fertility. There's a shamanistic, ecstatic connection in their origins I believe.
The Cathedral one's are medieval circa 1450. It's a fascinating, little developed topic. Any idea what is the best book on the matter?
Basford is very nice on the topic.
ReplyDeleteSome of the pics in the book show a very very disturbed, fearfull creature.
Richard Bernheimer, Wild men in the Middle Ages, Harvard University Press, 1952. is the classic treatment of the subject.
On shamanistic and ecstatic connections. The small part on this rug article with regard to dead babies is particularly interesting.Something rather similar is described by one ancient Greek philosopher in a travel description (don't have the name to hand). The rest of its not bad and its getting at the roots of the tradition.
http://www.tcoletribalrugs.com/article11trees.html
In its medieval context it has a very strong relationship with pennance and the care of the soul. But despite engaging in lust greed etc and ending cast out in the eyes of god, insane, without speech and sprouting leafs, feathers or hair the sinner finds his way back and his immortal soul is saved just before he dies.
In 15th century Scotland it is mostly found as a motif on grave- stones.
I am an utter bore on this topic, its my main area of research.
Thank you Jeb for your very helpful information on this topic. shall check out your bibliography quoted.
ReplyDeleteAnd no, but no, you're not at all a bore on this subject. However I'vr discovered there is a thin line between dedication (those who approve of you will call you this) and obsession (those who cannot share your enthusiasm will label you this). It's good to get some kind of publication/ paper/ lecture published, that usually shuts up your critics.
Specialization leads to people become leading authorities on a subject and respected for their knowledge, so don't ever apologise for your enthusiasms, least of all to one who is now in his 15th year dedicated/obsessed with Browne!
I am about 15 years into my topic. Somewhat lazy with regard to writing up.
ReplyDeleteI should also add something as yet unfinished from an academic correspondant.
Ephraim Nissan, Adnei ha-Sadeh: The Elusive Humanoid from Late Antique and Medieval Rabbinic Tradition.
Its focus is on Rabbinic Zoological lore related to the higher primates, covering the vegtable lamb, wak wak tree, Graeco-Roman concepts of the homo agrestis and hebrew and European versions of the Alexander legend, which cover the wild man.
I think it will prove interesting with regard to the Green Man when it turns up in print.
I am sure Sir T.B. would have enjoyed the subject.