Roof boss
Category
Architecture / Features & Decoration
Date
1530
Materials
Wood
Measurements
300 x 300 x 150 mm
Place of origin
England
Order this imageCollection
Cotehele, Cornwall
NT 347662
Caption
This popular symbol of folklore often seen in churches, but its origins are uncertain. It is possible that the Green Man has biblical origins, although it has commonly been associated with Paganism, said to represent male fertility. In Cotehele, and a number of Dartmoor churches, it appears alongside the ‘triple-hare’ boss (see 347661) which is said to symbolise female fertility. Other ‘green men’ at Cotehele can be seen in a tapestry in Queen Anne’s Room, and as a carving on the bed steps in King Charles’s Room.
Summary
One of eighteen roof bosses, this one carved with a green man motif.