The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #113369 Message #2412341
Posted By: Jack Blandiver
13-Aug-08 - 06:10 AM
Thread Name: Any info about the green man?
Subject: RE: Any info about the green man?
so to call it 'Norwich Anglican Cathedral' when it was rebuilt between 1297 and 1430, is erroneous
LTS - I call it Norwich Anglican Cathedral to differentiate it from the Norwich Roman Catholic Cathedral. My belief is that the Foliate Heads known as Green Men (or rather The Green Man!) are an integral aspect of the culture & theology of Pre-Reformation Roman Catholicism which, as you say, built the cathedrals in the first place. I am alarmed by the Anglican proclivity to promote the Foliate Heads as being pagan, though at Gloucester Cathedral there is a charming leaflet pointing out that this is most certainly not the case.
I visited the Norwich Roman Catholic Cathedral (consecrated 1873!) for the first time back in June as was delighted to find a plethora of fine Foliate Heads throughout.
Norwich Roman Catholic Cathedral, Column Base