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The Green Man. Finedon has about five
fine examples of the Green Man carved in stone.
The Green Man has never been fully explained, all we know is that
it is probably Celtic in origin and pre-dates Christianity into the
Pagan period. At the coming of Christianity the Green Man was adopted by
the Church and can be seen throughout Europe and North Africa. The
finest example today can be seen in the South of France, Portugal,
Spain, and of course Finedon!
These figures are called Green Men not because of their colour, but because of the green foliage coming out of the mouth. One of many theories is that the foliage represents and reminds us of the words of Jesus, “I am the Vine, you are the branches” On the Ferial Season of the Church when the altars and vestments are
green, reminding us that we are continually growing in Christ. These two
unusual examples of the Green Man at Finedon are carved not in stone but
wood and they can be seen in the Nave Ceiling just above the Nave Altar.
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