A centerpiece of historical Bristol, England, the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, more commonly known as St. Mary Redcliffe, is a breathtaking Gothic structure with intricate stone carvings and stained glass. The church has been standing for eight centuries and was even called “The fairest, goodliest and most famous parish church in England” by Queen Elizabeth I. But beyond its architectural marvels, the church holds a secret: a 15th-century whalebone. Tucked away in the church’s St. John’s Chapel, the whalebone perches atop a Greenman figure. The Greenman, often depicted as…
