Cornucopia Seeds & Plants
The cornucopia is an ancient symbol of prosperity and abundance, a horn-shaped vessel filled to overflowing with fruits and vegetables gathered at the autumn harvest. Today, the cornucopia is used to decorate autumn banquets and feasts such as the American Thanksgiving. While the cornucopia was traditionally filled with regional foods out of necessity, today’s world market allows us to choose any combination of nature’s bounty we like. Does this Spark an idea?
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History
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According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word cornucopia comes from the Latin "cornu copiae," meaning "horn of plenty." In a Roman legend, the god Zeus was playing with the goat Amalthea that had nursed him in a cave on the Greek island of Crete. While they were playing, Zeus accidentally broke off one of the goat's horns. As an apology, he filled the horn with fruit and promised her it would always be full of the fruits she loved. Since then, the cornucopia has been associated with many other Roman gods and goddesses including Copia, a goddess who carries the horn of plenty.
Types
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The original cornucopia consisted of an animal horn filled with regional fruits. Later, when the Jewish and Egyptian people came into contact with the Romans, they adopted the cornucopia as a symbol of their gods' bountiful gifts to the people and the cornucopia became a woven, horn-shaped basket that held fruits and vegetables. Today's cornucopia can be made from anything from traditional woven baskets to edible waffle cones.
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Features
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Some fruits native to the eastern European and western Asia region where the cornucopia originated were apples, cherries, figs, grapes, pears and plums. The Jewish people used the cornucopia when celebrating during the three harvest seasons, using fruits and vegetables like wheat, barley, olives, grapes and pomegranates. When the cornucopia was brought to America with the pilgrims, it was filled with North American autumn harvest plants such as squash, corn, wheat, apples, sweet potatoes and grapes.
Planting
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To grow your own traditional cornucopian garden, choose seeds that can be grown easily in your regional climate. Midwestern and Northern fruits and vegetables can include sweet corn, beans, wheat, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, apples and sweet potatoes. Some ideal seeds for the Southern garden could include blue corn, squash, oranges, peppers and tomatillas.
Preparation
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To fill your cornucopia with the fruits of your labor, wash each item thoroughly to remove dirt and insects and let dry. Arrange the fruits and vegetables within the cornucopia, mixing colors and textures for maximum appeal. Keep all leaves on the plants and vegetables for added color, and allow them to spill out of the container onto the table or counter to enhance the prosperity symbolism.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit cornucopia image by Liz Van Steenburgh from Fotolia.com
