Green men are figures or heads that were carved in churches abbeys & cathedrals from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries. Inspired by the illustrations in book margins where heads were used to terminate trails of foliage they were usually carved in the form of human masks cats or demons heads. The earliest architectural green men are found in the churches of the wealthy & influential such as Henry-Is private chapel in Derbyshire but they were still produced in lesser numbers into the nineteenth century. Richard Hayman discusses the origins & definitions of these fascinating figures & traces their many declines & revivals throughout history
- a valuable guide for any church history enthusiast.