🌲 Winter Folklore 🌲 The Green Man is an ancient folkloric deity that can be found carved into many medieval churches across Britain. He is the personification of nature and a deity that protects the land. During the summer months he takes the form of the Oak King, breathing life into the land and allowing the trees to bloom. Yet in the winter he is the Holly King. the evergreen Green Man who causes mischief and magic wherever he walks. Even though he is the twin that rules the dark half of the year, he also helps to symbolise everlasting life in the depths of midwinter, giving us hope that spring will yet again return to the frozen land. One of the most famous tales of the Holly King comes from the Athurian legend of Gawain and the Green Knight. One Christmas eve all the knights of the round table were gathered together when they heard a knock at the door. In then came the Holly King, swathed in evergreens and with fresh snow swirling around him. He challenges the knights to a game, which involves the challenge of chopping off the Holly Kings head to win a prized axe. The caveat being that the Knight will then have to face the same challenge in a year and a day. Gawain rises to the challenge, bringing his sword down on the Holly Kings neck and winning the axe. The Holly King picks up his head and declares he will see Gawain in a year and a day, and rides off into the winter night. This tale continues and involves many journeys, battles, and much trickery, teaching us about the mischevious deities that protect the natural world and how we should never fully trust the supernatural beings that rule over these lands. . . . . . #thehollyking #oak #oaktree #Oakking #Holly #Christmas #Yuletide #wintersolstice #winterfolklore #folklore #athuriantales #athurianlegend #Britishfolklore #thegreenman #greenman #christmasfolklore #christmastraditions #ukfolklore #Arthur #witchtok #hedgewitch #hedgerowhealing #naturedeity #treespirit #dryad #christmasdecoration #wintersolsticefolklore - @hedgerow_healing