Poppyhead (carving)

Poppyhead is a form of carving of the top of the end of a bench or a choir stall.^[1] Its name is unrelated to the poppy flower. It is derived, by way of Old French, from the Latin word puppis, which means the poop or the figurehead of a ship. In its simplest, and its most usual form, it has the appearance of a stylised fleur-de-lys. In some cases, it consists of a much more intricate carving; for example in Holy Trinity Church, Blythburgh, some of the poppyheads represent the seven deadly sins.^[2]

Poppyhead carved as a Green Man

Poppyhead carved as a stylised fleur-de-lys in St Peter's Church, Neatishead