A delightful world tour of traditions and beliefs related to trees and forests, The Mythic Forest highlights modern-day revivals of ancient customs and identifies the Green Man motif in American architecture, hisface peering out from behind his leaves on California banks and New York brownstone houses. The book will appeal to readers interested in folklore and legends, mythology, urban archeology, and, of course, trees and their lore. Trees and forests are rich in symbolism and have been feared or revered since man began to walk the earth. In Part I, the author discusses the gods of nature and the folklore of trees, tracing a variety of legends, practices and beliefs; in Part II he presents the history of the image of the Green Man and its use in pre-Christian and early Christian times up to today. Mankind has given a recognizable face to the awesome and impalpable forces of nature in the image of the Green Man and the nature spirits that this book explores.
The ways in which different societies and different craftsmen have depicted these spirits display the wide creative range of the human imagination, but the persistence of the theme suggests that in all their many facets these "spirits" represent a deep, primordial sense that humans have shared since civilization began; for the message of these images has remained the same, even if somewhat altered over time. Folk traditions from around the world, from the rites that celebrate spring and egg on the forces of fertility to folk health remedies and the use of talismans to ward off illness and other evils, show some surprising similarities and hint at the shared origins of human culture. Even though the original significance of many customs has been lost or diluted, they still hold an appeal and many American towns even today are re-introducing seasonal fairs to recreate and revel in the link between man and nature. * Gary R.
Varner is author of: Essays in Contemporary Paganism; Sacred Wells: A Study in the History, Meaning, and Mythology of Holy Wells & Waters; Water of Life-Water of Death: The Folklore and Mythology of Sacred Water; and Menhirs, Dolmen and Circles of Stone: The Folklore and Magic of Sacred Stone.