Editing Wild man (section)

{{Short description|Mythical figure}}
{{other uses}}
[[File:ADurerWoodwoses1499.jpg|thumb|Wild men support coats of arms in the side panels of a portrait by [[Albrecht Dürer]], 1499 (Alte Pinakothek, Munich).]]
The '''wild man''', '''wild man of the woods''', '''woodwose''' or '''wodewose''' is a mythical figure and motif that appears in the art and literature of [[medieval Europe]], comparable to the [[satyr]] or [[faun]] type in [[classical mythology]] and to ''[[Silvanus (mythology)|Silvanus]]'', the Roman god of the [[woodland]]s.

The defining characteristic of the figure is its "wildness"; from the 12th century, it was consistently depicted as being covered with hair. Images of wild men appear in the carved and painted [[roof boss]]es where intersecting [[ogee]] [[Vault (architecture)|vault]]s meet in [[Canterbury Cathedral]], in positions where one is also likely to encounter the vegetal [[Green Man]]. The image of the wild man survived to appear as supporter for [[Heraldry|heraldic]] [[Coat of arms|coats-of-arms]], especially in Germany, well into the 16th century. [[Renaissance]] engravers in Germany and Italy were particularly fond of wild men, wild women, and wild families, with examples from [[Martin Schongauer]] (died 1491) and [[Albrecht Dürer]] (1471–1528) among others.