There was a custom in Calydon as there was in many lands
That the first fruits of the harvest be sacrificed to the goddess
Unfortunately one summer King Oeneus made the mistake
Albeit accidentally of omitting to make a sacrifice to Artemis
Artemis, furious at Oeneus's negligence reeked vengeance
And sent down the most enormous wild boar to Calydon
The Boar ravaged Calydon, destroying everything in its path
Oeneus called in Atalanta and the noblest men to take it on
The kings own brothers and his son Meleager joined the hunt
The Boars skin was offered as trophy to the one who killed it
Many of the men were unhappy fighting alongside a woman
Atalanta was a great huntress and she fought where she saw fit
Despite his being married Meleager was in love with Atalanta
And he convinced his uncles and the others they should follow
Atalanta was the first to see the beast, and quickest to shoot
Amphiaraus followed suit hitting the beast’s eye with an arrow
Meleager, was a fearless young dare-devil and took his chance
An excellent hunter he took his spear and gorged the Boar
But the great boar was big enough that it kept charging at him
And would have killed him but for the quick action of Atalanta
Meleager won the Boars skin and the credit for the beasts kill
But such was his infatuation with Atalanta he gave it to her
But the other hunters didn't like the idea of a mere woman
Getting the prize instead of a man no matter how good a hunter
The loudest of the protesters were Meleager's own uncles
And they declared that if he didn't want the great boar skin
That was quite acceptable but it could not go to Atalanta
And by the right of blood it should go to one of his own kin
Meleager in his anger fought and killed all of his uncles
And then he presented the prized boars skin to Atalanta
His mother Althea unable to forgive him for his actions
Was so distraught in her grief she killed her son Meleager
