Cornucopia

Horn of Plenty

The old Pagan myth tells us that Zeus was nourished during his infancy in Crete by the daughters of Melissus, with the milk of the goat Amalthea. Zeus, when he came to the empire of the world, in gratitude placed Amalthea in the Heavens as a constellation, and gave one of her horns to his nurses, with the assurance that it should furnish them with a never-failing supply of whatever they might desire. Hence it is a symbol of abundance, and as such has been adopted as the jewel of the Stewards of the Lodge, to remind them that it is their duty to see that the tables are properly furnished at refreshment, and that every Brother is suitably served.

Among the deities whose images are to be found in the ancient Temples at Ellora, in Hindustan, is the goddess Ana Purna, whose name is compounded of Ana, signifying corn, and Purna meaning plenty. She holds a corn measure in her hand, and the whole therefore very clearly has the same allusion as the Masonic Cornucopia or Horn of Plenty. In the Masonic system it is the symbol of joy, peace and plenty. It is the official jewel of the Stewards of the Lodge.

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_{This page is adapted from the Glossary at Phoenixmasonry — Used with permission.}