The Green Man

Gone Medieval

History Hit

History

4.6 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 24 June 2025

⏱️ 64 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Dr. Eleanor Janega delves into the enigmatic figure of the Green Man, tracing his origins and uncovering the myths and realities behind this medieval character. Eleanor is joined on location in Kent - at St. Mary's, Minster-in-Thanet, and St. Nicholas at Wade - by Imogen Corrigan to explore the symbolism and significance of the medieval Green Man carvings, a detail often misunderstood as a pagan symbol but here reinterpreted within a Christian context of rebirth and eternal life. Along the way, they discuss the influence of historical periods including the Black Death, the role of craftsmen, and the blending of pagan and Christian elements in religious art.

A Guide to Medieval Churches

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6uL2WMaHruAxVlwSNV8elP

A Stonemason's Secrets

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0QGLLrkD8KV44EfTGsOK3L

Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. It was edited by Amy Haddow, the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, I'm Matt Lewis.
0:02.6	And I'm Dr. Eleanor Yonaga.
0:04.2	And we're just popping up here to tell you some insider info.
0:08.0	If you would like to listen to Gone Medieval ad-free and get early access and bonus episodes,
0:13.3	sign up to History Hit.
0:14.5	With the History Hit subscription, you can also watch hundreds of hours of original documentaries.
0:20.6	Such as my new series on everyone's favorite
0:22.8	conquerors, the Normans, or my recent exploration of the castles that made Britain. There's a new
0:29.9	release to enjoy every week. Sign up now by visiting historyhit.com forward slash subscribe, or find a link in the show notes for this episode.
0:45.0	Hello, I'm Dr. Eleanorianica and welcome to Gone Medieval from History Hit, the podcast that delves into the
0:55.2	greatest millennium in human history. We uncover the greatest mysteries, the gobsmacking
1:01.8	details, and the latest groundbreaking research from the Vikings to the Normans, from kings to
1:07.9	popes, to the Crusades. We delve into the rebellions, plots, and murders that tell us who we really were.
1:17.3	And how we got here.
1:48.5	Okay. Today I've finally been let out once again on day of release from the Gone Medieval Dungeon by order of the Lord of History Hit Towers.
1:52.5	Thanks, Dan Snow.
1:53.8	And I've been sent here to the quiet, leafy churchyard of St. Mary's Minster and Thanet.
2:00.1	On the northern edge of the original Wantsome
2:03.2	Channel, and it's known as the Cathedral of the Marshes because of the size of the church.
2:10.0	And it is quite unusually large, I have to say. It has beautiful and very typically Norman features.
2:19.1	It's quite squat to the ground and has a wonderful Norman square tower.
2:26.2	Now, it looks as though the Victorians have come along
	...

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