Mr Centerwall's Pageant Hypothesis depends on a particular interpretation of the Crowcombe image in isolation from its immediate neighbours - much less its historical context. If the caving existed in isolation, then fair enough, but it does not, and must, therefore, be taken in the context of the other Crowcombe bench-ends, which is why a comparison between the two images is important. If one of the carvings features dolphins emerging from the ears of a Foliate Head, and the other what could well be a depiction of mermen, then that is a far clearer, and more immediate link, than that which Mr Centerwall is proposing. Note, if you will, that Dolphins do not have scales, and that the bodies of those depicted are identical to the tails of the figures Mr Centerwall would have us believe are Green Men. So not in the least bit irrelevant, Nerd - rather crucial to our overall appreciation of the Crowcombe sequence.   

Mr Centerwall has set out to establish a connection between Foliate Heads and the name Green Man which existed in relation to a carnival figure found in post-reformation pageantry. What he has given us, fascinating though undoubtedly it is, is in no way conclusive, although, rather tellingly, he clearly believes it is - even going so far as to state quite categorically that Lady Raglan was right in calling Foliate Heads Green Men. This is one hell of a leap even assuming that we can think of these ear-emerging-mermen to be depictions of the Green Men of renaissance pageantry, which, all things considered, looks unlikely for the reasons I've pointed out above.