Cornucopia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Template:Short description Script error: No such module "other uses".

File:Detail. Cornucopia. Marble statue of deified empress Livia, holding a cornucopia, 42-52 CE. Acquired in 1842 CE in Theatre of Falerii, Italy. Altes Museum, Berlin, Germany.jpg
Cornucopia of a Roman statue of Livia as Fortuna, 42-52 AD, marble, Altes Museum, Berlin
File:Cornucopia Palermo.jpg
Cornucopia, part of a Roman statue, Archaeological Museum A. Salinas, Palermo, Sicily, Italy

In classical antiquity, the cornucopia (/ˌkɔːrn(j)əˈkoʊpiə, -n(j)uː-/ Audio file "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Cornucopia.wav" not found; Script error: No such module "params".), also called the horn of plenty, is a symbol of abundance and nourishment, commonly a large horn-shaped container overflowing with produce, flowers, or nuts. In Greek, it was called the horn of Amalthea (Template:Langx),[1] after Amalthea, a nurse of Zeus, who is often part of stories of the horn's origin.

Baskets or panniers of this form were traditionally used in western Asia and Europe to hold and carry newly harvested food products. The horn-shaped basket would be worn on the back or slung around the torso, leaving the harvester's hands free for picking.

In classical mythology

File:Berenice cornucopia gold Collection of J. Demetriou.jpg
Cornucopia at the center of a coin of Berenice II of Egypt; the Greek inscription reads ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΗΣ ΒΕΡΕΝΙΚΗΣ, "of Queen Berenice".

Mythology offers multiple explanations of the origin of the cornucopia. One of the best-known involves the birth and nurturance of the infant Zeus, who had to be hidden from his devouring father Cronus. In a cave on Mount Ida on the island of Crete, baby Zeus was cared for and protected by a number of divine attendants, including the goat Amalthea ("Nourishing Goddess"), who fed him with her milk. The suckling future king of the gods had unusual abilities and strength, and in playing with his nursemaid accidentally broke off one of her horns, which then had the divine power to provide unending nourishment, as the foster mother had to the god.[2]

In another myth, the cornucopia was created when Heracles (Roman Hercules) wrestled with the river god Achelous and ripped off one of his horns; river gods were sometimes depicted as horned.[3] This version is represented in the Achelous and Hercules mural painting by the American Regionalist artist Thomas Hart Benton.

The cornucopia became the attribute of several Greek and Roman deities, particularly those associated with the harvest, prosperity, or spiritual abundance, such as personifications of Earth (Gaia or Terra); the child Plutus, god of riches and son of the grain goddess Demeter; the nymph Maia; and Fortuna, the goddess of luck, who had the power to grant prosperity. In Roman Imperial cult, abstract Roman deities who fostered peace (pax Romana) and prosperity were also depicted with a cornucopia, including Abundantia, "Abundance" personified, and Annona, goddess of the grain supply to the city of Rome. Hades, the classical ruler of the underworld in the mystery religions, was a giver of agricultural, mineral and spiritual wealth, and in art often holds a cornucopia.[4]

Bible

The Septuagint (dated to around the 2nd century BC) version of the Book of Job gives the name of the youngest daughter of Job, Keren-happuch, as Template:Translit (Script error: No such module "Lang"., 'horn of Amalthea'), a name the Roman author Pliny the Elder explicitly identifies with the cornucopia.Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor_id_list' not found. In the 4th century AD, the Christian bishop Gregory of Nyssa writes that the text's usage of this term should not be taken as reason to believe in the mythical Greek tale of Amalthea, but that it is the text's way of emphasising the virtuous character and beautiful appearance of Job's daughter.Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor_id_list' not found.

Modern depictions

File:Cornucopia of Orchids at Kew.jpg
Giant cornucopia of orchids at Kew Gardens, 2025

In modern depictions, the cornucopia is typically a hollow, horn-shaped wicker basket filled with various kinds of festive fruit and vegetables. In most of North America, the cornucopia has come to be associated with Thanksgiving and the harvest. Cornucopia is also the name of the annual November Food and Wine celebration in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. Two cornucopias are seen in the flag and state seal of Idaho. The Great Seal of North Carolina depicts Liberty standing and Plenty holding a cornucopia. The coats of arms of Colombia, Panama, Peru, Venezuela, Victoria, Australia and Kharkiv, Ukraine, also feature the cornucopia, symbolizing prosperity.[citation needed]

Cornucopia motifs appear in some modern literature, such as Terry Pratchett's Wintersmith and Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games.[citation needed]

The horn of plenty is used for body art and at Thanksgiving, as it is a symbol of fertility, fortune and abundance.[citation needed]

See also

Page Template:Div col/styles.css has no content.

Notes

Page Template:Reflist/styles.css has no content.

  1. ^ Pearson, p. 60.
  2. ^ David Leeming, The Oxford Companion to World Mythology (Oxford University Press, 2005), p. 13; Robert Parker, Polytheism and Society at Athens (Oxford University Press, 2005), p. 422.
  3. ^ Ovid, Metamorphoses 9.87–88, as cited by J. Rufus Fears, "The Cult of Virtues and Roman Imperial Ideology," Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt II.17.2 (1981), p. 821.
  4. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Clinton, Kevin (1992). Myth and Cult: The Iconography of the Eleusinian Mysteries. Stockholm. pp. 105–107.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Virginia, L. Campbell (2017). Ancient Rome - Pocket Museum. Thames & Hudson. p. 196. ISBN 978-0-500-51959-2.
  6. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Maison dite des Cariatides ou Maison Pouffier" [House known as the Caryatids or Maison Pouffier]. pop.culture.gouv.fr (in français). Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  7. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Sharman, Ruth (2022). Yves Saint Laurent & Art. Thames & Hudson. p. 147. ISBN 978-0-500-02544-4.
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Martin, Henry (1927). Le Style Louis XIV (in français). Flammarion. p. 21.
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Opéra - théâtre". pop.culture.gouv.fr (in français). Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Paire de Vases « Fuseau »". amisdulouvre.fr (in français). Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  11. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."tapis de choeur Louis-Philippe". pop.culture.gouv.fr (in français). Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  12. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Oltean, Radu (2016). Bucureștii Belle Époque (in română). Art Historia. p. 58. ISBN 978-973-0-22923-3.

References

Page Template:Refbegin/styles.css has no content.

  • Page Template:Sister-inline/styles.css has no content.Script error: No such module "Sister project logo". Media related to Script error: No such module "Commons link". at Wikimedia Commons

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Navbox/configuration' not found. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Navbox/configuration' not found. Template:Greek religion Lua error in mw.title.lua at line 404: bad argument #2 to 'title.new' (unrecognized namespace name 'Portal').

Retrieved from "https://cosmopedia.co/index.php?title=Cornucopia&oldid=57920"