The Green Man

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1- 8 1s+3s set advancing and Balance-in-Line (Man above Lady); 1s+3s dance ½ RSh reel of 4 up/down centre (RSh to partner). End in line up/down centre, Lady above Man all facing own side
9-16 1s+3s Balance-in-Line and dance out to own side. 321; 3s+2s dance ½ RH across, retain partner's hand and cross to own side. 231
17-24 1s cross RH and cast up to 2nd place opposite side (3s step down 19-20); 1s dance ½ Fig of 8 (1L up round 2s, 1M down round 3s). 213

(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)

Dance Information

Green Man carvings are especially associated with churches, cathedrals and historic buildings throughout Britain and Europe. Most surviving examples date from the medieval period, although similar imagery appears in much earlier art.

The figure became widely known as the "Green Man" during the twentieth century after research by Lady Raglan, who published an article on the subject in 1939. Since then, the Green Man has often been linked with nature, renewal and seasonal growth.

Modern interpretations sometimes connect the Green Man with ancient pagan beliefs, although direct historical evidence for a single continuous tradition is limited.

6th-Century Byzantine Mosaic In The Great Palace Mosaic Museum, Istanbul

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