A Plentiful History: Mythic & Popular Origins of the Cornucopia

A Plentiful History:

Mythic & Popular Origins of the Cornucopia

By Chrystal Savage

In traditional still-life paintings and contemporary decorations, the cornucopia is a staple of the harvest season.

Translating from the Latin “cornu copiae,” to “horn of plenty” in English, it is believed that the cornucopia was derived from its representation in Greek mythology, in which Zeus, in his youth, was fed from the horn of a goat.

According to a 2015 Atlas Obscura article, “the horn of plenty was broken off the head of an enchanted she-goat by Zeus.

“The infant Zeus was hidden away from his father, Cronos, in a cave,” the article continues. “While in hiding, the baby Zeus was fed and cared for by Amalthea, a figure depicted as a naiad (water nymph) or she-goat. Wile suckling at the teat of the magic goat, (Zeus) broke off its horn, which began to pour forth a never-ending supply of nourishment. Thus the symbol of the horn of plenty was born.”

Today, the symbolism of the cornucopia has evolved. Historically, the first prominent “modern-day” American Thanksgiving occurred in the harvest season of 1621, roughly a year after the pilgrims’ arrival and settlement on Plymouth Plantation. Despite its popularized depictions, the bountiful reaping was likely never stocked in a cornucopia and the horn-shaped vessel did not become a traditional element of the holiday until President Lincoln’s formalized Thanksgiving in his attempt to unify a warring nation.

Cornucopia Culture

Hollowed-out goat horns have been replaced by the more popular woven basket-style cornucopia, believed to have originated in Western Asia and Europe in the 17th century. Cornucopias of varied styles have been featured on coins, flags, coats of arms and of course in artistic representations, including statues, paintings, pottery and compositions. Suzanne Collins, a native to the New England area and author of the Hunger Games trilogy, also featured a grim, science-fiction interpretation of the cornucopia in her novels.

Losing the popularization of its origin to become more synonymously associated with pagan traditions, many Americans associate cornucopias with the first Thanksgiving which is, in fact, a myth. Nonetheless, the meaning of the cornucopia and its suggestion of harvested bounties has withstood the test of time. Often overflowing with faux fruits, berries, nuts and vegetables and taking on a few new connotations over the years, the cornucopia is a centerpiece of many Thanksgiving tables and a reminder of that for which we give thanks.