Origins of The Horn of Plenty

The cornucopia is a well-known symbol of Thanksgiving and because of its association with that first Thanksgiving so long ago, it is naturally assumed that it was brought to America by the Pilgrims, but this is not true. It actually has its origins in Greek mythology.

From as far back as the 5th Century B.C., the cornucopia has been a symbol of fruitful abundance, and is also called the Horn of Plenty, Horn of Amalthea and Harvest Cone.

Greek mythology states that Amalthea was a goat who raised the infant Zeus for a time — who would grow up to become king of the gods — and nourished him on her breast milk. One day while they were at play, Zeus accidentally broke off one of her horns. This caused Amalthea to transform into a unicorn. Stricken with remorse Zeus returned the horn to her, but seeking to atone for his carelessness, and being a god he endowed it with supernatural powers which would give whoever possessed it whatever they wished for. Thus the legend of the cornucopia was born. Original pictures had the goat’s horn filled with fruits and flowers. Deities, especially one called Fortua, were shown with the horn of plenty. One of the special blessings she bestowed was copia, meaning bounty.  

In another version of the story, Amalthea may have been a nymph who was asked to nurse the infant Zeus while he was being hidden from Cronus. She chose to hide on Mount Aigaion, which means Mountain of the Goat, so it is reasonable to assume that she was either a goat nymph or a nymph who shepherded a herd of goats. So it was either her horn or one of her goat’s horns that was broken while playing with Zeus. Thus did Zeus create the cornucopia to make amends for the damage he had caused. Giving the tale more credibility is the fact that Amalthea is another name for the constellation, Capricornus, the goat.

It is also interesting to note that the Freemasons, a fraternal order of the 16th century, adopted the cornucopia as one of their symbols. In masonry, the cornucopia represents abundance.

Cornucopia is a word that comes from the Latin “cornu,” meaning horn and copiae,” meaning plenty. So “cornucopia” actually means horn of plenty, and that is why people also refer to the cornucopia as the horn of plenty. The cornucopia as it is known today is a hollow, horn-shaped wicker basket usually filled to overflowing with festive fruits, vegetables and flowers. It is routinely placed on a holiday table as the centerpiece symbolizing Thanksgiving and the harvest. Even some churches place a cornucopia at the front to symbolize the many blessings granted by God.