Sunday 18 March 2012

Green Man Gargoyles


The Green Man, a name only recently coined to describe imagery which has been around for hundreds of years, is a common sight on churches, castles and alike. The image has its roots in pre-christian culture, a symbol of regrowth or rebirth. These four are from Highcliffe castle, yet are likely to have originated in France as the faux castle is build from château masonry shipped to Britain in the 1800's. There were other green man carvings, but unfortunately time, weather and damage have all but done for them.

1 comment:

  1. According to Stephen Fry and QI, a grotesque isn't a gargoyle unless it is posessed of a spout to convey water, so what you have there are in fact grotesques.

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