The origins of the phenomenon are lost in the mists of time. It is any kind of carving, drawing, painting or representation of any king which shows a head or face surrounded by, or made from, leaves. Some Christian authorities have suggested that the foliage issuing from mouths of Green Man represents the life - giving breath of the Holy Spirit although none have gone so far as to suggest that the face is that of a God. It is also a doorkeeper or guardian, similar to Janus.