Devonshire Feb and Mar 16

Green man at Spreyton church
photo by Bruce Gibbs
Green man at South Tawton church
photo by Bruce Gibbs
Three hares at Sampford Courtney
photo by Bruce Gibbs
some 45 metres across, making it a large
and very important structure that would
have been used for religious purposes. One
writer, the late Roger Deakin, reflecting on the
area around Bow, described the River Yeo as
Devon’s river Ganges.
The Green Man images would have been made
by local woodworkers as they carried out the
timber work in the construction of the areas
churches. The creators of these images were
talented craftsmen indeed, a look at the oak
bosses of these churches will reveal a whole
host of intricate designs, all carved by hand
and dating from the 14th and 15th centuries.
The skill of these unknown workers is further
demonstrated in some of the churches by a
design showing three hares sat around the oak
boss. At first glance, these hares all appear
normal, but a closer look reveals that there
are only three ears between them, making
them, perhaps, some of the oldest optical
illusions in the country.
There are conflicting arguments as to why
the Green Man is so well represented in
this part of the county, but most have their
origin in the Celtic sacred groves of the area.
When the churches of mid Devon were being
constructed in medieval times, the pagan
worship of sacred groves was still something
that lingered in the local population. One
theory is that the Christian church deliberately
incorporated the pagan Green Man image
into the new buildings to demonstrate to the
local population that Christianity was their
religion. The other theory is that the local
population had strongly held views when it
came to their sacred groves and they weren’t
prepared to let them go easily. Could it be
that the local craftsmen employed to build the
churches deliberately created the images as
an act of rebellion against the rigidly enforced
doctrines of the church?
The simple truth is that nobody really knows
why these symbols are so prevalent in the
churches of the area, for every theory put
forward at least another two are proposed to
contradict it. Whatever the reason for their
existence, one thing cannot be argued with;
the images of the Green Man are true works
of art that should be enjoyed and celebrated
by us all.
By Ian Parsons
The approach to Spreyton Church - the avenue of trees recalling the
sacred groves that once dominated the area
photo by Bruce Gibbs
Sampford Courtney Church
photo by Bruce Gibbs
mydevonevents 97