Cornucopia
From Free net encyclopedia
- For other uses, see Cornucopia (disambiguation).
The cornucopia (Latin Cornu Copiae), also known as the Horn of Plenty, is a symbol of food and plenty dating back to the 5th century BC.
In Greek mythology, Amalthea raised Zeus on the milk of a goat. In return Zeus gave Amalthea the goat's horn. It had the power to give to the person in possession of it whatever he or she wished for. This gave rise to the legend of the cornucopia. The original depictions were of the goat's horn filled with fruits and flowers: deities, especially Fortuna, would be depicted with the horn of plenty.
In modern depiction, the cornucopia is a hollow, horn-shaped wicker basket typically filled with various kinds of festive fruit and vegetables. The cornucopia has come to be associated with Thanksgiving.
The cornucopia is also a favourite design for corn dolly making.
The sampo of Finnish mythology is also a source of plenty.de:Füllhorn es:Cornucopia fr:Corne d'abondance it:Corno dell'abbondanza lt:Gausybės ragas nl:Cornucopia pl:Róg obfitości sv:Ymnighetshorn