In search of the Green Man in Prague
Mysterious leaf-covered Green Man faces adorn several Prague landmarks
The Green Man, a face either completely made of or covered in foliage, can be found on buildings across Europe.
Prague has several in the Old Town and Prague Castle areas, dating from medieval to modern times. Many of these are visible if you know where to look, with a few more hidden away in inaccessible interiors.
The meaning behind the faces is debated, with many scholars giving them pagan origins. Others insist they began after Christianity became widespread, as they are often found on churches. A third group simply regards them as a visual joke, akin to whimsical animals on manuscripts.
Disputed meanings and origins of the Green Man
Those who point to pagan roots link them to spring festivals celebrating rebirth and renewal. For example, Greek and Roman gods for wine were depicted covered in vines and leaves. Some research links them to architectural motifs from the Middle East that Crusaders and other revelers brought back to Europe.
Those who point to them as a Christian symbol cite a popular medieval legend that Seth, the son of Adam, planted seeds in Adam’s mouth. These sprouted into the tree that provided the wood for Jesus’ Crucifix. Many images of the Green Man show branches sprouting out of the mouth or other orifices.
It is hard to date the faces found in Prague exactly, as buildings have undergone multiple waves of remodeling. The earliest one is likely outside the Gothic bay window of a former chapel at the Karolinum, now part of Charles University.
This one, dark and damaged due to age, features oak leaves and acorns, with leaves coming out from both sides of the mouth and more leaves enshrouding the rather scary face. Another one is inside the Karolinum, but not in a public area. The oldest parts of the Karolinum date from the middle of the 14th century.
A doorway on the side of the Karolinum built by architect František Maxmilián Kaňka in 1716–18 sports two smiling faces with designs that resemble leaves. But by this era, many design flourishes had a leafy nature so this might have no symbolic significance.
The Green Man watches over Old Town Square
Old Town Square has a cluster of faces. In the covered arcade of the Týn School (Týnská škola), to the left as you enter, one centre of a ribbed vault features a face with seven leaves growing out of it. Three of them emanate from the mouth. The building dates to the middle of the 1300s, but the arcade might be later.
Another face is on the arch decorations at the side entrance to the Church of Our Lady before Týn (Kostel Panny Marie před Týnem). This one has leaves from the mouth curling around to form a crown. The church was built between the 14th and 16th centuries.
Old Town Hall has a pair of faces carved in a wooden door on the entrance next to the tower and Astronomical Clock. The Gothic door from 1652 used to be the main entrance. The door also sports the faces of demons and the doorway has a tangle of sculpted thorns to trap rogue spirits. The scary carved faces were also an attempt to protect the building from evil.
The window adjacent to the door has another tangle of concrete vines, with a human head in the middle. A shield with a Bohemian lion sits above it. It might date back to the 15th century.
Look up to spot two Green Man faces at the Powder Tower
A pair of faces are well hidden on the Powder Tower (Prašná brána) at Celetná Street, the start of the Royal Route to Prague Castle. The tower from 1475 served as the ornate entry to Old Town when there was still a wall. Two stone faces made of leaves are hidden under the decorative side pillars on the northwest and southwest sides. They aren’t obvious unless you get under the pillars and look up.
One face has a leafy mustache and the other has leaves protruding from the lips. The tower had a heavy-handed remodeling in 1878–86, but the faces seem to be from the original decor.
Both of these are worse for centuries of wear and in need of some cleaning and restoration work.
Modern Green Man examples near Wenceslas Square
Some fairly modern examples are in Old Town near the entrance to the bottom of Wenceslas Square. A face in the centre of a round leafy design can be found at the edge of one of the columns at a side door of the Old Town Market (Staroměstská tržnice). Other faces have a mix of animal, plant and fantasy elements. The market, at Rytířská 406/10, built in 1896, is currently closed while the city decides how to renovate the space.
The former Prague Credit Bank (Pražská úvěrní banka) is one of the first Art Nouveau-style buildings in Prague, built in 1902. The entrance has several elaborate designs on the facade including a male and a female face surrounded by flora and topped with small trees.
Faces and flora were common elements of Art Nouveau, and many flowery faces can be found throughout the city centre on buildings from this era. Whether any of these were meant specifically to invoke the idea of the Green Man is questionable.
The Green Man at Prague Castle
Parts of Prague Castle go back almost a thousand years. But the front of St. Vitus’ Cathedral (katedrála svatého Víta) comes from the first third of the 20th century. Six squat Green Men are above the main entrance in the corners where the towers meet the main body of the church.
The most impressive of these has a surprised-looking face with lush leafy branches coming from his mouth. Another shows a leafy mask covering all of a face save for the chin.
While these are clearly modeled on Gothic examples from other cathedrals and designed to match the historical decor from the older sections, they are recent additions.
The Písek Gate (Písecká brána) was once part of the fortifications of the Castle district. Built in 1721, it can be found across from the Queen Anne Summer Palace. The side facing away from the Castle has a keystone over the arch with a face surrounded by vines and leaves.
The Green Man is much more popular in Britain, and an illustration of one even appeared on the invitation to the coronation of King Charles III. In Prague, they are a little more than a curiosity. Looking for them can be something like a scavenger hunt.
An article by BabaBarock with Raymond Johnston. Copyright BabaBarock Ltd, all rights reserved. Please contact us if you would like to syndicate or otherwise use this article.
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