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A UC exclusive this one.
We received word today that Fillide is ready and will be on its way to the fulfilment centres on Friday. This means that despite the delay we will just about be able to launch our new deck this month!
Seeing as the UC community here have been so important to us since we first mentioned our campaign for Fillide, we wanted to kick off our promotion for the next project here. We hope you enjoy it and we will be updating you with more images and info over the next few days
Anthony and Ale
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A celebration of the mystery of the plant world, The Green Man Playing Cards explore this iconic character and delve into the folklore behind dozens of plants, fruits and trees said to be both cursed and blessed, contain magical properties and even to be gifts directly from the Gods themselves.
To our ancestors the earth itself was the Goddess. The plants which sustained us with their fruits would also consume us when we perished. Artefacts from ancient times along with the folklore and legends that survive show the immense respect that the ancients had for nature.In the old world, even as recently as 300 years ago, the earth as we know it was covered in forests and wildflowers. What cities existed bore little resemblance to the sprawling metropolises we see today. Old cities would seem rather more like quaint countryside towns, and the majority of people would live in what we now call villages or hamlets.
The forest then, was a source of great mystery and received deep respect from our ancestors. Even the smallest copse of trees would have seemed far larger, far more mysterious than today. Forests spanned much larger distances and covered the majority of the land. If one was not careful, it was easy to get lost, losing track of time and find oneself entranced by the endless rows of branches and leaves.
Interestingly, the folklore around nature and the forests is remarkably consistent across the world. From ethereal spirits and cursed trees, to sacred groves and magical properties of plants, stories told in Anglo-Saxon England bear striking resemblance to others from Brittany, the Holy Roman Empire, Scandinavia and as far away as Asia and Africa.
None of the botanical images from these times is more shrouded in mystery than The Green Man himself.
Take a closer look at ancient architecture across northern Europe and you’re bound to see this ancient and mysterious face. From Catholic cathedrals to pagan monuments, aristocratic villas and Christian chapels this strange character appears in many forms, adorning everything from the most prominent tower to the most subtle corner of a door frame.
Often simply a man’s face made from leaves and plants, other times depicted somewhat unnervingly as a human being almost devoured by branches and vines, the origins and meaning of the Green Man remain a mystery. Was he a pagan deity? Is he the male representation of mother nature? Or is he a warning for man that nature will always prevail?
First images...
Coming to Kickstarter November 19th, 2019 (14-day campaign)
(May be slightly delayed to allow for Fillide fulfilment to deliver)
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More images in the coming days. Please fire away with any feedback, questions or comments
EDIT - Box Mockups Added with notes below...
The boxes represent the bronze and copper Green Men that you see frequently on fountains throughout Italy and Europe. These compliment the classic architecture Green Man on the back of the cards, the reimagined Green Men of the Aces and the other Green Men that you have yet to see...
The boxes will be in a similar matte stock to Fillide and the similarities in the style are because they are part of an unofficial 'trilogy' of decks that we are making. More on this soon.
Cheers everyone!
