St Chads, Stafford © Jennie Miller

Many thanks to Eric Payne (see previous blog entry) for allowing us to reproduce his wonderful song “The Green man Looks on” and to Vanessa Piggott  for alerting us to Erics work. For more about Eric go to www.ericpaynefolksongs.co.uk thanks also to Jennie Miller for another wonderful picture.

‘The Green Man Looks on’

Dowse the lantern, new dawn is at hand,
The team is a-waiting to plough the good land.
Three abreast, they shall stumble and nod,
Heaving the share through the heavy clay sod.

The Green Man looks on,
And he smiles from the copse as the cycle of death and re-birth never stops,
The wheel of the year,
Turns again and the mythical man watches on.

Hour after hour the neat furrows climb,
Like the strings of a harp in a regular line;
Till needful of rest, all labour must wait,
The horses have nosebags, the ploughman his bait.

The Green Man looks on,
And he smiles from the copse as the cycle of death and re-birth never stops,
The wheel of the year,
Turns again and the mythical man watches on.

Yet steadily on until late afternoon,
The chains chack relentlessly into the gloom,
Till reins through the cringle, less urgent confirm,
The voice of the Ploughman to take the last turn.

The Green Man looks on,
And he smiles from the copse as the cycle of death and re-birth never stops,
The wheel of the year,
Turns again and the mythical man watches on.

Then away with the harnesses, off with the plough,
For sweet scented hay bids the steaming team now.
From their stable the low lantern light,
Passes out through the door with the Ploughman’s “Goodnight”.

The Green Man looks on,
And he smiles from the copse as the cycle of death and re-birth never stops,
The wheel of the year,
Turns again and the mythical man watches on.

…………………………………………………………………………

Copyright: © Eric Payne. January 2010

The Ancient Legacy

A journey through the seasons in music, song, poetry and sketches

with some of the Counties most respected folk musicians and actors.

“ When Summer days grow shorter and Autumn days draw near,

The nights grow ever longer, ‘till the turning of the year.

If, when the sun is highest, still the world turns as of old,

We know that winter’s waiting, even when the fields are gold”.…..

Vicki Williams

   And just as surely, Spring will follow Winter in the ‘everlasting circle’ of the seasons.

The Ancient legacy’ is a lively production which takes us on a journey through the seasons and the farming year both past and present celebrating them in music, song, poetry and humorous sketches.

Narrators introduce you to the modern farmer struggling with ministry documents, and the ploughboy of long ago as they journey through Spring ploughing, haymaking and harvest  until Christmas celebrations before turning again to look forward to another new year.

Throughout the play the ancient and mysterious symbol of the ‘Green Man’ appears, representing continuity of the seasons and the need for unity with our natural world, ultimately delivering a message of hope for the future.

The play has an eleven strong cast made up of local actors, singers and musicians dedicated to bringing their audience an engaging and thought provoking Production.

For more information please go to :

http://www.ericpaynefolksongs.co.uk/Folkplay.html

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 11,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 4 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Stafford St Mary's © Jennie Miller & Gary Truss

I would like to wish all our members a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012.

This wonderful picture was taken by Jennie Miller & Gary Truss and is from St Mary’s in Stafford

At this time of the year I always seem to find myself drawn back to the wonderful poem Gawain and the Green Knight. The poem was written by an unknown author in the late 14th Century, but was only rediscovered two hundred years ago and published for the first time in 1839.

The story begins as the court of King Arthur is celebrating the feast of Christmas. The door burst open and the formidable figure of the gigantic green skinned and green haired Knight rides into the great hall clothed all in green on a green horse. He issues a grisly challenge to Arthur and his Knights and asks if anyone amongst them is “bold both of blood and brain”, and will dare strike him one stroke for another, “I will give him as a gift this axe, which is heavy enough, in sooth, to handle as he may list, and I will abide the first blow, unarmed as I sit. If any knight be so bold as to prove my words let him come swiftly to me here, and take this weapon, I quit claim to it, he may keep it as his own, and I will abide his stroke, firm on the floor. Then shalt thou give me the right to deal him another, the respite of a year and a day shall he have. Now haste, and let see whether any here dare say aught.”  Gawain begs Arthur to allow him the honour of taking the challenge and so begins Gawain’s magical quest.

Anybody interested in reading the poem could do no better than get hold of a copy of the extremely accessible and beautifully written translation by Simon Armitage.

Earlier this year I finally completed my own slightly shorter quest to visit Lud’s Church in the beautiful Peak District. Lud’s Church is thought by many to be the location of the Green Chapel that Gawain travels to in the story to complete his part in the bargain that he makes with the Green Knight. Lud’s Church also has links with Robin Hood another Green Man and there is even a legend of a ghostly green man who haunts the surrounding woodland.

My walk started from a car park about two miles from Lud’s Church and followed the walk detailed at the end of this article. It took me through some incredible countryside and I was astonished at just how vibrantly green the woodlands around the area were. I was worried about missing the entranceway but shouldn’t have as you definitely know when you have arrived at this magical place.

The church is in fact a deep chasm on the hillside above Gradbach in Staffordshire. As soon as you enter you understand why this incredibly atmospheric location has inspired so many legends. Apparently many visitors find the atmosphere too overwhelming and won’t go any further than the entrance. I must admit I paused and had to take a deep breath before walking between the moss and fern clad walls but would not have missed the experience for anything.

The pathway soon leads to a set of steps that take you even deeper into the chasm. It had rained before my visit and this area was extremely muddy so I would advise good boots, but there are a number of stepping stones that lead through the mud and onto safer ground. Lud’s Church appears to have been seen a sacred place from early times. On Midsummer’s Day the light from the sun penetrates deep into the chasm. Lud or Llud of the Silver Hand is a hero from Welsh Mythology and was also known as Nud in Welsh or Nodens by the ancient Britains.  There is another legend that Lud’s Church is named after a horse ridden by a huntsman who was pursuing a deer close to the chasm. The hunter didn’t see the approaching danger but his horse, Lud, did and stopped throwing the rider to his death at the bottom of the chasm. The ghost of the hunter was said to haunt woods around the area covered from head to toe in moss and leaves. This lead to the figure being known by the locals as The Green Man.

How to find Lud’s Church

There is a free car park around two miles from Lud’s Church (located at 53.193063, -2.002955). Walk out of the car park and turn right. Follow the narrow road until you come to a fork. Take the right hand fork and head down the hill to the Gradbach Mill Youth Hostel. Once at the Hostel you’ll see the hostel on your right, a footbridge in front of you and a path to the left. Follow the path, which in turn curves to the left. You will come to a small gate, go through the gate and follow the path to the right. About 20m further on there is a narrow stone style on your right (with a private grounds sign on a gate further behind it). Go through the stile and turn left. Follow the road for around 30m. On the corner of the road, you’ll see another stile. Look over the wall to the right you will see the footbridge that you need to cross. Cross the footbridge and you will come to a signpost. Head for Swythamley and Lud’s Church. Head straight up the steep hill and you will quickly come across a path that goes to the right. Walk along this path until you come to a large rock formation on your right (about a ten-minute walk). You will then see a sign for Lud’s Church to the left; follow it, and within a few minutes you will arrive.

Hassock in Sherborne Abbey Dorset © Les Miles

A Merry Christmas to all our members!

Many thanks to Les Miles for adding this previously unlisted Green Man to the Gazetteer. It is on a Kneeling Cushion or Hassock in Sherborne Abbey in Dorset

Salisbury Cathedral Copyright © The Company of the Green Man

Wishing all members of The Company of the Green Man a fantastic Yule. thanks to everyone for all the contributions and support during 2011. Here is a picture of one of the most seasonal Green Men I could think of from the roof of Salisbury Cathedral…He is wearing a Santa hat isn’t he?

Southwell Minster © Martyn Gaunt

Congratulations to Martyn Gaunt for spotting an as yet unlisted Green Man and  Green Beast in the Minster at Southwell in Nottinghamshire. They are both to be found on carved wooden friezes above the choir stalls, the first one is on the north side of the choir and the second, more animal like one is above the stalls on the south side. Martyn commented “While I knew of the many green men within that have been well documented, especially in the Chapter House (Have you been? It is absolutely wonderful!) and the misericord with a full length foliate figure, I had previously been completely unaware of these two figures”

Southwell Minster © Martyn Gaunt