Spirits of the Wood

Spirits of the Wood

This work presented by Mosaïcultures Internationals Montréal in 2013 is an experimental work, as mosaiculture requires a sunlit environment in order to satisfy the lighting needs of the plants used.

The willow plot is shaded and thus makes a suitable location in which to experiment with shade plants, which are not usually used in mosaiculture practice. The Mosaics Internationals team relished this opportunity for experimentation and challenged itself with the creation of its piece Spirits of the Wood.

Comprised of four separate mosaiculture works representing Celtic deities known to be custodians of Nature, Spirits of the Wood draws on the singular and magical cachet of the willow plot to great effect. The deities weave among the willows, the better to integrate themselves into this majestic setting. A tunnel made of vegetation ushers the visitor into this mysterious and serene space.

Greenman: This Green Man welcomes visitors at the tunnel entrance. He is a medieval pagan god who represents the spirit of trees. The foliage surrounding his face is often comprised of oak leaves, the oak being an ancient sacred tree in Great Britain.

The Ram-head Serpent: The serpent is a universal symbol found in many different myths and cultures. Far removed from its pervasive association with evil, the serpent embodies immortality, infinity and the forces underpinning the creation of all life. The Ram-headed Serpent is related to the Gallic god Cernunnos, who was worshipped across all of Celtic Europe and in Gaul, where he represented the cultural unification achieved by the Celts in the course of expanding their empire. Cernunnos is the god of fertility and embodies masculine energy.

The Ram-headed Serpent rising out of Green Man's willow, near the tunnel, “snakes” its way across the site to end up in the left hand of Cernunnos.

Coventina is a Celtic deity who watches over fairies and water nymphs. Goddess of rain, rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, oceans and water creatures, she is fond of reeds and water lilies found along river banks.

Cernunnos is a very ancient deity, quite popular until the second century A.D. Master of the animal kingdom, Cernunnos is the god of virility, fertility, wealth and the forest, and the guardian of the gate to the after-world. Cernunnos is seen here brandishing stag antlers and carries the Ram-headed Serpent in his left hand.

Cernunnos: is a very ancient deity, master of the animal kingdom. Image: © ProvinceQuebec.com

The Ram-Headed Serpent is a universal symbol found in many different myths and cultures. This serpent embodies immortality, infinity and the forces underpinning the creation of all life. Image: © ProvinceQuebec.com

The foliage surrounding the Green Man's face is often comprised of oak leaves, the oak being an ancient sacred tree in Great Britain. Image: © Lucie Dumalo