Mark Olly - Revealing the Green Man

Mark Olly discusses his book Revealing the Green Man. To many, The Green Man is little more than a chubby face peering through a veil of leaves. Sometimes cute, sometimes vaguely sinister, he is nonetheless widely regarded as merely a meaningless symbol from an age long lost. In reality, however, he could rather be said to be the esoteric embodiment of the very essence of life itself, an ancient archetype once known the world over.

On a journey through myths and legends, magic and folklore, we explore the mystery of The Green Man. From the time of the Celts and Druids, the rise of the Roman Empire, the Anglo-Saxon annals, and the descent into the Dark Ages and beyond, we meet with Robin Hood, Herne the Hunter, King Arthur, and many other colourful characters along the way. It is a tale pregnant with arcane symbolism, cultish rites, the perennial wisdom of 'as above - so below', and the final revelation of the Earth's eternal cycle of destruction and rebirth.

Thousands of years ago, man went to war with nature, and thus to war with himself. Lost to the land as once was, he became Master of the World, for a while. Blinded by arrogance, hobbled by hubris, and emboldened by his technological toys, he brought the biosphere to the brink of oblivion, to exalt himself at the Earth's expense. This is our story, and we are not as clever as we might like to believe. In a timely re-learning of The Green Man's lessons, in the twilight of the industrial age, we are being invited, perchance for the final time, to change our ways, or perish.

Bumper music:
Cliff Martinez 'Traffic OST'
Clannad 'Herne'

[theindigotraveller]

I spent 6 weeks living in a tent in a forest. It was a nightmare, because it bought out some of my dark side, that I had to deal with. I also met the fairies there. They are real. After a short while, you can feel the life from the trees. I ended up feeling protected in there. Even the darkness ended up being my friend after a while. I was so used to running away form my fears, but the 6 weeks there was my only option. so I had no choice but to sit and feel it, then face it all.

[Somuchfalsehistory]

Do folks not realize what has happened to our Trees ? our world use to be covered with Great Trees ! not spindly stuff we have now but Trees to the Heavens, None of us are taught the truth

[richardorourke]

Excellent interview!! Another Floridian here waiting to get the hell out. My inner Celt calls me back to the rural cooler climate from whence my family came. I firmly believe that, although Caucasians have ventured to all corners of the globe, those of us that allow ourselves to listen to the voices of our distant ancestors realize an innate need to live in the same type of places they once did. We're just not suited for jungles or deserts. Cities are a vexation to the spirit of all humankind but people have been attracted to them for millenia. Perhaps they exist as a sort of 'Venus Fly Trap' catching all of those who are lured to the illusion of modernity only to perish (both physically and spiritually) leaving the 'country folk' to carry on in harmony. Keep up the good work!!!

[lewissmith]

Seeing the greenman and legalise. Sounds very weed related.

[community]

What we all have to remember is that way before Christianity there were the "pagan" belief systems and many of them believed we were completely part of nature and I see nothing wrong with that.

[jestpassinthru]

The Green Man is still celebrated in lots of English villages .
As children we were introduced to the "Talking tree his name was Jack" a huge old oak Tree .. when anyone visited or walked past Jack they would bid him a good day and children would place possies of wild flowers at the Base of his trunk.

[musicalmarion]

I thought we were going to hear about the Green Man? Sorry I've given up after half an hour : (

[WeSoCRAYY]

ONCE WHEN I WAS 16 I HAD SLEEP PARALYSIS.. AND I WAS AFRAID THAT THIS DEMON WAS COMING TO TAKE MY SOUL (I WAS NEVER RELIGIOUS...EVER MY MOM COMES FROM A STRICT CATHOLIC BACKROUND) I WAS SO SCARED AND THEN SAW THIS MAN SAVE ME FROM WHATEVER I WAS AFRAID OF...THIS GREEN GUY...my last name is Shields and my great uncle did a DNA study and my blood is related to scottish royalty..im sorry but this shit scares me that this green dude exists

[bridamcgarbheith]

this accent ...is close to mine...sounds like you are from Derry??  NI?? or somewhere close. I love trees...

[laragreen]

Thank you, very enjoyable. :)  But, y'know, the ants here in Florida *bite!* <lol!>  And sand fleas at the beach bite!  Biting flies, bees, wasps, hornets, yellow jackets all sting ... omg ... yeah, I love going outside but Nature tends to bite! ;p

[AnthonyMonaghan]

I'd direct anyone listening to this to the excellent book by Nina Lyon...."Uprooted on the trail of the green man".

[Brian-dovo]

Yes, when people talk about the rain forests being mowed down. I always think well the whole of the British Isles has been deforested for centuries.

[WarlockVex]

Reua, Rudra, Mug Ruith ... Oak God/Thunder God, Breather of Life. He should have just asked a Druid of Eagna An Darach. He is our God.

[nervouskitchen]

i'm confused, should we protect the trees and mine the land? i need help here

[marshallmartin]

I noticed something strange in the banana plants.It appeared to be a face looking back at me.I had to zoom in on a pic to see it.It had the color of the banana leaves with large eyes.It had the look of ancient native art.I had the urge to draw it and may still do it.I never heard of the green man so I just started searching and landed here

[yup]

The Celts “being green” didn’t really help them in the end against Caesar’s legions. Thought it ironic when the author gushed on how how the Celts were green and could hide themselves ambush the Romans. “It was over... they were done” ummm nope.

[Brian-dovo]

I love the Green Man. After having all my English mythos and culture wiped out by Romans, Normans and Saxons. I look to the Green Man as my central Pagan Deity from which I could make my own Bardic tales and imagery and spin it back into my family's culture.

[WonderingGreenMan]

Interesting perspective!<-- New Subscriber!

[neuralvibes]

Anyone know the name of the intro/outro background music?

[aronsingh]

Display he say they started wearing green uniforms in the napoleonic wars? I'm sure the French wore blue uniforms until the first world war... and the British were wearing red for a while