The Green Man Gazetteer
The Company of the Green Man maintains the largest gazetteer of Green Men (and Green Women) in the world. When the founder of The Company of the Green Man Ronald Millar wrote the book “The Green Man Companion and Gazetteer” in 1997 he included our first gazetteer containing 61 entries. Ron told me that he thought there may actually be hundreds of Green Men out there. Little did Ron know how much he had underestimated the incredible spread of the Green Man. Our Gazetteer now lists thousands of Green Men, Women and Beasts. More sightings arrive weekly and I suspect that there are many thousands more as yet undiscovered Green Men out there.
I’m hopeful that the downloadable gazetteer will become a really useful tool for Green Man hunters who can now download a current copy to their phone or tablet prior to heading out so that it is always available offline.
The Gazetteer is now available for anyone to download completely free of charge via the Gazetteer tab at the top of this page.
It is still a work in progress, I have many sightings to add and a lot of formatting to do but rather than keeping it back until this is done I would prefer it be available for use now and keep updating it as and when I can.
Whilst the gazetteer is completely free to download it has taken many years of hard work to produce and it would be really appreciated if those who find it useful would consider making a small donation via our Donate tab above or via THIS LINK
How you can help
Our gazetteer is growing daily but we need help verifying many of the entries as well as discovering as yet unrecorded green men. Hunting green men is a fascinating pursuit for individuals groups or the whole family and will get you out and about in some fantastic locations. Entire walks or journeys can be planned around searching for green men and there are many, many green men, green women and green beasts still waiting to be discovered. In the words of Clive Hicks author of “The Green Man: A Field Guide”:
“There are certainly many, many green men not known to us…..It might be you that identifies a gem of a green man who has been gracing a church for centuries, unnoticed until your visit”
Those who discover a green man that has never been recorded will be credited in our gazetteer as the original discoverer! Those how are able to verify an entry will be credited as the verifier. Please e-mail me with as much detail as possible and preferably include a photograph for us to add to our online Flickr Archive.
As a minimum it is really helpful to record:
Place: (street, town, county, church name etc.)
Location: whereabouts is the green man (outside, inside, on a corbel near the west door, outside on a frieze on the second story etc.)
Date: Many churches have information sheets detailing when they were built, many buildings have a prominent date stone)
A picture: The quality of even the most basic of mobile phone cameras is now so good that even a quick snap would really be appreciated. It will be added to our online photographic archive copyrighted to the finder and may even appear in our members newsletter and on our blog.
I am also hoping to start embedding Google Map links directly into the gazetteer so would really appreciate Google Map co-ordinates if possible too.
Membership of The Company of the Green Man is free, just click on the Join Us tab at the top of this blog.
Carshalton Straw Jack
I’m extremely pleased to announce that the magical Carshalton Straw Jack paraded today. My thanks to Simon Webster for permission to use his wonderful picture. The Carshalton Jack is the 18th Jack to parade this year. I would love to learn a bit more about this unusual Jack and it’s history if any of the organisers or participants read this post.
The Carshalton Strawjack Saturday 8th September
Carshalton Straw Jack 2015 © Pixyled Publications
It’s been a great year for the traditional Jack in the Green with 17 confirmed so far. The magical Carshalton Straw Jack will be parading on Saturday 8th September this year. A Celebration of Harvest the Carshalton Straw Jack is ritually stripped in the evening so that all present can take a keepsake and then he is burnt in a brazier. It is hoped that he will be burnt as a complete figure one year.
I had really hoped to head over to Carshalton to see their Jack at last this year but unfortunately I won’t be able to make it. If anyone out there is going or if any of the organisers or participants read this please do send me some pictures for our archive and blog. I would really love to get in contact with the organisers to get a bit more detail about the history of this unique Jack.
Here are the details of the route and times directly from The Carshalton Strawjack website:
Approximate route and times, will change!
Racehorse, West Street Arrive from 11:05 Depart 12:15
West Street, Festival Walk, Mario’s bench, Ponds
Woodman / Coach & Horses, High Street Arrive 12:35 Depart 13:30
High Street, along to Charles Cryer Theatre
Grove Park, Mill Lane
The Palmerston, Mill Lane Arrive 13:45 Depart 14:30
North Street, Camden Road
The Sun, North Street Arrive 14:35 Depart 15:25
North Street, Camden Road
The Railway, North Street Arrive 15:35 Depart 16:25
North Street, West Street Lane
Hope, West Street Arrive 16:40
Burning around 19:30 dependant on weather.
For more details see their website is: www.strawjack.co.uk
Carshalton Straw Jack 2015 © Pixyled Publications
20 Years Young!
I still can’t quite believe that 2018 marks 20 years of The Company of the Green Man! Ronald Millar wrote the book “The Green Man Companion and Gazetteer” in 1997 and in a note at the back of the book invited interested people to join The Company of the Green Man. Keen and eager upon reading his freshly printed book and with an avid interest in Green Men I wrote to Ron in early 1998 and asked to join the Company, to be told that I had caught him slightly unprepared. The book had gone out earlier than he had anticipated and the Company did not yet officially exist. And thus (with a little bit of encouragement) in 1998 The Company officially began. Ron’s first newsletter was published in September 1998.
20 years and 43 newsletters later The Company is still going strong with nearly 800 members worldwide. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our members and followers for their contributions and encouragement over the years, without you The Company of the Green Man would not exist.
Here’s to the next 20 years!
From Granite to Sea – Alex Langstone
From Granite to Sea ~ The Folklore of Bodmin Moor and East Cornwall by Alex Langstone
Alex Langstone is a folklorist, poet and author and was one of the first members of The Company of the Green Man when it was launched by Ronald Millar twenty years ago. Alex has been fascinated by the innumerable legends, myths and folklore of the Cornish landscape for much of his life. He lives in an old slate and granite farmhouse, tucked away in the lush green Camel Valley, North Cornwall. When not writing, he can be found exploring the hidden valleys, secret coves and haunted byways of the Cornish landscape. You can find out more about Alex, his books and upcoming talks at: http://www.alexlangstone.com
“Cornwall is an ancient land steeped in legend and myth. From Granite to Sea explores the folklore of the often-overlooked eastern reaches of the rugged Cornish peninsula, at the heart of which lies the mysterious upland of Bodmin Moor. This beautiful and remote land of granite, which forms the Cornish highlands, inhabits eighty square miles across the central spine of eastern Cornwall. A wild and mysterious landscape, where folklore permeates every hill, rock and river. Inhabited by piskies, giants and conjurors, who in turn control the old trackways, hilltops and weather. It is a land haunted by the wild hunt of the Devil’s Dandy Dogs and the demonic spectre of Tregeagle.
From Granite to Sea is the first ever comprehensive focus on the folklore of eastern Cornwall. Alex Langstone’s ground-breaking study will guide the reader through a myriad of old tales of witches, conjurors and charmers, supernatural encounters, amazing folk traditions and curious customs from the high moors, rugged clifftops, secret coves and lush estuaries across the eastern reaches of the Duchy.”
“evocative and atmospheric” Meyn Mamvro
Available to buy online from Troy Books http://www.troybooks.co.uk
Alex will also be presenting an illustrated talk about his new book on September 12th
The Company of the Green Man 