Cornucopia
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
Related e |
|
Featured: |
The cornucopia (Template:Lang-la) is a symbol of food and abundance dating back to the 5th century BC, also referred to as the food of worship and holiness, Horn of Amalthea, harvest cone, and horn of plenty.
In mythology
In Greek mythology, Amalthea was a goat who raised Zeus on her breast milk, in a cave, on Mount Ida of Crete. Her horn was accidentally broken off by Zeus while playing together. The god Zeus, in remorse, gave her back her horn with supernatural powers, which would give whoever possessed it whatever they wished for. The original depictions were of the goat's horn filled with fruits and flowers: deities, especially Fortuna, were depicted with the horn of plenty. The cornucopia was also a symbol for a woman's fertility. The story is said to be a predecessor of the Unicorn and the Holy Grail stories.
Modern depictions
In modern depictions, the cornucopia is typically a hollow, horn-shaped wicker basket filled with various kinds of festive fruit and vegetables. In North America, the cornucopia has come to be associated with Thanksgiving and the harvest. Cornucopia is also the name of the annual November Wine and Food celebration in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. Two cornucopias are seen in the flag and state seal of Idaho. the coat of arms of Colombia, Panama, Peru and Venezuela, and the Coat of Arms of the State of Victoria, Australia, symbolising prosperity.
The horn of plenty is used on body art and at Christmas, as it is a symbol of fertility, fortune and abundance. Some evangelical Christians warn against wearing the symbol, or the similar Italian horn symbol of male fertility, saying it is actually demon-infested or unlucky, and equating it to the "little horn", a figure described in the Christian Bible sometimes considered to be the Antichrist.
In the popular young adult novel The Hunger Games, the Cornucopia is a giant golden horn overflowing with weapons and supplies, which is the center of the bloodbath, the opening fight in the Games.
Cornucopia is also the name of a magazine about Turkish culture. It alludes to the traditional depiction of Anatolia as a land of plenty.
See also
