Green Man 2003

3 Day Festival

in Clun

Shropshire

The Green Man

The strange leaf-mask of the Green Man has haunted the Western imagination for well over a thousand years. Why you may ask? Where does he come from? And what does he mean?

The answer is that no one is really sure and perhaps that is part of his mysterious power. He is most usually described as "a symbol of man's union with nature". But maybe the words in Russel Hoban's novel "Riddley Walker" come closest to capturing the essence: "The look o' that face saying so many different things only no words to say 'em with. Never seen that face befor yet it wer a face I knowit....".

There is the odd feeling of recognition, of it being "a face I knowit", not from seeing it carved on church corbels or cathedral choir stalls, but known deep inside ourselves as if from a dream. The face takes many forms, but there are two basic styles: a realistic human face disgorging leaves from the mouth, or a face actually made of leaves. Sometimes these two images are combined as on the front of this programme.

The Clun Green Man

Our Green Man is different and special to Clun. Great trees border his cloak, their branches interlacing across his chest and, uniquely, his leaf face is crowned with deer antlers. This indicates our union with the green vegetation, which surrounds us so abundantly, AND with animal life too. Deer move secretly through the woods, which clothe our hills. You may not often see them, but like the spirit of nature himself you know they are there.

The Battle on the Bridge

 Green Man:

                Hear me old Frostie, stand aside I say,

                For Spring breaks through this very day,

                Hear my words addressed to thee,

                For this my will, so mote it be,

Crowd:

                Hurrah!

Old Frostie:

                I am Old Frostie, Queen of Cold,

                Clun's my throne my great stronghold,

                I reign here submit to me,

                Bend the knee or turn and flee,

                You'll not be in Clun woods this day,

                A conjuring the Springtime way,

Crowd:

                Boo!

Green Man:

                My hour is come with the strengthening sun!

                I banish thee Frostie. Go with the snow!                            (She flees)

Crowd:

                Hurrah!

Green Man:

                Hail the Queen of May!                                                    (Three times)

Crowd:

                Hurrah!

May Queen:

                Mine is the beauty of the green earth and the fullness thereof,

                For I am the bringer of all fruitfulness unto thee,

                By the moonray's silver shaft of power,

                By the green leaf breaking into bud,

                By the seed that springeth into flower,

                By the life that courses in the blood,

                I invoke the power of land and tree,

                And call on rain and sun:

                As I do will, so let it be,

                I speak the word - and it is done!

Green Man:

                Come people of Clun, let it be so,

                For I am among thee and maketh things grow.

Crowd:

            Hurrah!