Wednesday, November 10, 2010

A Cornucopia Of Cornucopias











The story of the cornucopia, or 'Horn of Plenty,' goes back at least to the fifth century, B.C. The myth is that as a child Zeus hid from his father Cronos on Mt. Ida in the isle of Crete. He was nourished there on the milk of the nanny goat Amalthea, and one day while playing with her he broke off one of her horns. In remorse, he returned it to her imbued with the power to provide its owner with whatever they wanted. Several mythological figures were portrayed holding the cornucopia, including the personification of autumn and the harvest. These days in the United States the cornucopia has become associated with Thanksgiving and is often used as a centerpiece or display decoration.

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