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What
does the Cornucopia symbolize?
The
Cornucopia or "cornu Copiae" is, literally, the horn of
plenty' and was first
introduced into the English language in 1508. The Cornucopia, which
symbolizes
abundance, is usually seen as a curved goat's horn, filled to overflowing
with fruit
and grain, but which could be filled with whatever the owner wished.
The
Cornucopia has always been associated with Thanksgiving in the United
States, though
it was a symbol long before this holiday existed. Man has always
been thankful for the
abundance provided by Nature. The Cornucopia originally came from
ancient
Greek mythology and the term is carried on today with a similar
meaning.
The oldest account of the origin of the Cornucopia tells that Zeus
(Jupiter) was
committed by his mother Rhea to the care of the daughters of Melisseus,
a Cretan
king. Amalthea, one of the nurses, hung Zeus in a cradle from a
tree, so that he could
be found neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor in the sea. They fed
the infant deity with
the milk of a goat. Jupiter broke off one of the horns of the goat
and gave it to his
nurses, endowing it with the wonderful power of becoming filled
with whatever
the possessor might wish. So the 'Horn of Amalthea' became the symbol
of plenty, and whoever had it in his or her possession would never
starve.
The horn of plenty was regarded as the symbol of inexhaustible riches
and plenty and
became the attribute of several immortals. Another story tells about
the fifth labor of
Hercules. Hercules fought the river-god Achelous, who could take
the form of either a
snake or bull. Achelous failed to defeat Hercules as a snake and
changed
into a bull. Hercules ripped his horn off and diverted the river.
This land became
very fertile, and is a reference to the horn of plenty. Then the
Naiads took the horn,
consecrated it, and filled it with fragrant flowers. In the Roman
version it was the
Goddess Abundantia who adopted the horn and called it "Cornucopia".
~From:
Ancient History About.com
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