The Green Man: Celtic Deity Turned Sinister
An ancient deity, the Green Man was worshipped for centuries before Satanic witches were all the rave. However, a traveling group of pagans under the leadership of Professor Carcosa (secretly the satyr Pan) decide it would be an absolutely fantastic idea if he were to return to the world in all his former glory. The only catch is, they need to sacrifice a virgin to make it happen. Poor virgins. They’re always the ones who suffer in these situations.
Seeds Grow Plants… and More
Traveling carnivals are almost never suspicious or trying to destroy the world, right? Well, Professor Carcosa's Traveling Carnival and Phantasmagoria rolls into Greendale looking to dethrone the Dark Lord, and they have a rather unique way of going about it. In order to bring back an old god, the Green Man, they’re going to need a virgin, and luckily the town has a few available.
The local townspeople just need to be ‘seeded’ first. Those caramel apples that folks got from the carnival turn out to be laced with more than just sugar. There are spores inside with the potential to turn people into hosts. Then, of course, these pagans just need someone sacrificed and then the Green Man will rise, covering the world with blooming plants to pollinate those caramel-apple-eating victims. Fun!
Once Upon a Timeline
In one version of the timeline, Harvey Kinkle really does get sacrificed to the Green Man. Poor guy. The pagans rise to power with the old god’s resurrection. That doesn’t come about when Sabrina Spellman alters the timeline, however. Must be nice to have that option. Instead, a hedge witch named Pesta uses glamour to pose as Mary Wardwell and successfully desiccates the Green Man. Guess we won’t be getting that big garden after all.
The Green Man of Celtic Myth
While the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’s version of the Green Man is rather, well, chilling, Celtic mythology gives us a much different depiction of this ancient deity. He’s seen to represent the cycle of regrowth that takes place every spring. He is often depicted as a head covered in green leaves or a person with plants growing out of their mouth, nose, or ears. The first recorded references of him date back to the second century.
Just Who Are These Pagans, Anyway?
CAOS might portray pagans as deity-worshipers bent on world domination, but today’s pagans generally don’t have these particular goals. Well, not any of the pagans I’ve met, anyway. In modern Paganism, the Green Man can be seen as a symbol of the need to reconnect with nature and of the ecological movement. He is also associated with the Horned God, a deity that is a bit like a combination of the Greek Pan and the Celtic Cernunnos.
Even though the show takes creative liberties with the Green Man, pagans, and pretty much everything else esoteric, it’s still fun to see new interpretations of ancient figures. We watch this show to be entertained, after all. And who doesn’t enjoy a little peril in Greendale?