Infirm Relatives and Boy Kings: The Green Man Archetype in Alan Moore’s The Saga of The Swamp Thing

Abstract

Traces of the archetypal Green Man date back to the second half of the first century C.E. Despite his lingering presence, agreement on details about who he was and what he represented remained largely elusive when compared to other mythological figures. While it has been argued that the Green Man reflects our oneness with the earth, the psychological possibilities behind such a commonly reappearing archetype remain somewhat unexplored, especially as they intersect with modern visual culture. In 1984, the Green Man made a triumphant return to the popular imagination in Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing. His 42-issue run of Swamp Thing should be read as one of the most expansive explorations of the Green Man archetype, though the mythological figure is never referenced directly. Encompassing concepts ranging from the shadow and the ego to animal symbolism and lunar motifs, Moore’s detailed textual approach and direction of images combine to form a mythopoetic and psychological observation of an archetype that has historically been often seen but rarely understood. The intent here is to demonstrate connections beyond the ecological and Dionysian, and instead embrace a lens that magnifies wounding in the representation and narrative of the creature.