The Green Man might be pagan. But for Christians, he’s still useful

Some Christians are concerned about the pagan overtones of the Green Man positioned at the foot of the King’s coronation invites, but let’s not be scornful of this symbol, it might just open up a fruitful evangelistic discussion, says Tony Wilson

Catching a glimpse of the recently published invitation to the coronation of King Charles III, I was immediately drawn in by the exquisite design by Andrew Jamieson. Flowers, birds, bees and butterflies representing all the nations of Great Britain spill across the card in a celebration of life and colour. But perhaps the most prominent feature is a representation of the Green Man, which is causing some concern among Christians.

The official royal website says : “Central to the design is the motif of the Green Man, an ancient figure from British folklore, symbolic of spring and rebirth, to celebrate the new reign”. We might expect such a choice from a King who has shown a lifelong concern for the natural world and environmentalism but we might equally wonder why a character with pagan overtones was picked.