| Green Man | |
|---|---|
 "Roses are red, violets are blue...well, no, more of a deep purple color, if you ask me." --Phyllander, of the Great Southeast Wood | |
| Information | |
| Alternate Names/Spellings | Green Boy, Green Girl, Green Person, Green Woman |
| Origins | |
| Alignment | Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Good, Chaotic Evil |
| Element | Earth, Plant, Life/Death/Blood |
| Species | Humanoid (Elemental) |
| Appearance | Green, plant covered humanoid |
Origins[]
The existence of the Green Man transcends any single culture, or body of mythology, legend and folklore. It is known to many societies around the world. However, the perspective on its nature varies within different cultures.
Some societies saw the Green Man simply as woodland spirits connected strongly to the forces of youth, life, rejuvenation, fertility, wilderness and the season of spring. Others, however, revered them to a much higher level, and worshiped them as gods.
They are even connected, in literature, legend, folklore and mythology, in more recent times, to less elemental figures such as Robin Hood, Peter Pan, The Green Knight and the fairy Puck (as well as various deities from various myths and legends around the world).
Though, it should be known; despite the generic name of their species, female equivalents also exist (Green Man, Green Woman, Green Person, etc). However, due to the widespread patriarchal influence of male-dominated society in the past, Green Men were often depicted in art, literature and folklore more commonly than Green Women, Green Girls, etc.
Appearance[]
Disturb the Green Man's home forest at your own peril...
A Green Man is typically about human size, though older ones with greater elemental connections can be larger or smaller in stature.
Their skin is always green (though the shades of green may vary), and they are covered, head to toe (even sometimes the face and hands) in green foliage. The plant covering is commonly leaves, with the occasional thorns, vines, roots or petals. Their eyes are always green or some earth-tone color, like brown or gray.
And naturally, a Green Man's hair is always some shade of green. That is, if they have hair. It is not uncommon to see the hair of a Green Man replaced by leaves, and occasionally thorns, vines, roots and/or petals. In addition, Green Men can sometimes be seen with branches protruding from their bodies; they may even have a pair of branches growing from his forehead, resembling a male deer's pair of antlers.
Moreover, a Green Man will only ever wear leaves, branches, roots, petals and other plant matter for clothes (if they even decide to wear clothes at all).
Behavior[]
When you see it...
A Green Man's mannerisms can vary just as much as most other sentient beings. Some are philosophical and soft-spoken, fond of poetry and literature; others are hearty and stubborn, fond of sports and rough-housing; others are flamboyant and charismatic, with a flair for the dramatic; and still others can be loud, outspoken, and quick-tempered, easily prone to violence or mischief.
One personality trait that remains, however, is a deep love and respect for every aspect of nature. The Green Man is deeply passionate for the great outdoors, and the wilderness is their favorite place to live and explore. They deeply relish climbing trees, swinging on branches or vines, hiking, climbing mountains, roaming in meadows, swimming and being around animals.
They even make their homes in the trees, in the middle branches, or in a large-enough hollow. And they defend the woods of their forest fiercely, especially their home tree. They often feel the need to personally deal with any who defile it with littering, out-of-control fires, deforestation or the like.
Green Men can be found living solitary, in a small group, or in a medium-to-large organized clan or tribe. For those who live together in tribes, typically a male's "branch-antlers" are taken as a sign of status; the larger, stronger and better kept they are, the more impressive they are to potential mates. As such, if any males in the tribe have these "antlers", the largest ones will obviously belong to the tribe's leader.
Abilities[]
"The forest...it beckons to me."