No, we don’t mean the one that signals you can cross the road (but a big shout out to that guy for not getting us killed every day). We’re talking about that carving of a man’s face surrounded by leaves that you’ll usually find etched into medieval churches.

So who is this foliage-faced gent? It’s a bit of a mystery. For starters, green man figures from Lebanon and Iraq have been found dating back to the 2nd century. Around the 13th century, unrelated carvings of green men began appearing on Christian churches exists across Europe.

From the Renaissance onwards, the <b>Green Man</b> began rearing his leafy head on metalwork, stained glass and manuscripts. As the debate of his origin rages on, one thing’s for certain: it’s not easy being green.