Three episodes ago Reverend Jeff and Dr. Batdorf discussed the wodewose of Europe. I haven’t had the opportunity to re-watch the episode, but I seem to recall they made brief reference to the wodewose being sometimes associated with the artistic motif called the green man. Others have also made the association. I doubt that this is so, at least not for the earliest known green man depictions, which are mainly from ancient Greece.

There the green man is a depiction of the Greek god Dionysus, known in Latin as Dionysius and Bacchus, the god of grapes, wine, wheat, and bread, lord of the spring burst of growth as well as the fall harvest. He is also the god of forests and wild places. In his form as Pan, he induced panic in those of his worshippers who went to the forests to worship, panic not being fearful lunacy, but, back then, the ecstatic state induced by the worship of Pan Dionysus.

Why am I, as a quasi-scientist, bringing this up? Well, because the Greek mystery cult of Dionysus is closely tied to the Greek philosophers. It is probably the oldest of the ancient mystery cults of Greece. Plato frequently said in his dialogues that those who have been initiated into the mysteries will understand what he is saying. And the Greek philosophers gave us the basis for modern science.

Modern science is therefore based on the mysteries of the green man.
All hail Pan Dionysus, founder of the modern world!

First shared on the Squatcher’s Lounge Podcast: