2.  The heroine of this myth, Atalanta’s parentage is uncertain (her father has been listed as both Iasus and Schoenius)  Father dropped her off on mountainside after birth because he was disappointed she wasn’t a boy  Taken in by she-bear, raised by hunters who taught her their trade (in which she surpassed them)

3.  Strong  Muscular  Skilled with a bow  Adventurous, bold  “Hard-to-get” Proud Foolish (at times)

4.  Once, while Atalanta was strolling through the forest, two Centaurs (deadly creatures) attacked  Atalanta sniped both down with only two arrows Note: A centaur is a combination of a man and a horse. Picture: A centaur as represented in the Narnia films

5.  King Oeneus (Calydonian king) summoned heroes  Atalanta and several other warriors (all men) journey to Calydon  Oeneus’ son, Meleager, fell hard for Atalanta

6.  The son of King Oeneus  Had a terrible curse laid on him after his birth  “The Fates” appeared to his mom and told her that if a particular ash log (which they gave to her) were to burn, her son would die

7.  One day, Atalanta, Meleager and other warriors went out and hunt a Calydonian boar  The Calydonian boar quickly killed three of the seasoned warriors, like any self- respecting Calydonian boar would  Atalanta critically wounded the boar, Meleager finished it off, then rewarded her with the skin  His uncles, already annoyed with the notion of hunting with a woman, were infuriated and challenged Meleager’s right to award the skin to anyone

8.  Meleager decided to kill his uncles for challenging him, murdered them in cold blood without warning  When news reached his mom, she was filled with rage over her brothers’ murder and tossed the ash log into the fire, killing her son instantly-she hung herself after

9.  Our heroine later wrestled (and beat) the great hero Peleus (future father of Achilles)  Tracked down her parents and lived with them  Her father, oddly enough, was finally fine with Atalanta when he saw how boyish she was (Atalanta crushing Peleus)

10.  Many young men sought after her because she could hunt and shoot  Unfortunately for them, Atalanta preferred to stay free, so she came up with a way to get rid of them  She boldly declared she would marry any man who could beat her in a footrace

11.  Aphrodite decided Atalanta had been unmarried long enough and blessed a young man (either named Melanion or Hippomenes) with three irrestible golden apples.  He then challenged Atalanta to a race…

12.  Aphrodite easily began to outrun Melanion  At that point, he dropped two golden apples in succession-Atalanta fell back and grabbed both, then came back toe-to-toe with him  As they closed in on the finish line, he dropped the third off the course

14.  In the myths surrounding Atalanta, the cultural norms of her time concerning women are repeatedly challenged and violated  Atalanta seems to represent wild, natural freedom- raised un-tethered by social norms, she shows an ability to do manly tasks just as well as any man  Yet at the end of this tale, Atalanta is finally “tamed” and bound by her word to a man, her freedom destroyed by her vulnerability to the apples  A fascinating tale, this myth shows a challenge to the social norms for women and their eventual triumph over the rebellious Atalanta through her inescapable human folly

15.  Archetypes present in this myth include:  (Situation) The Fall – The tale ends with a descent from a freer, more individualistic state to a binding relationship to someone she doesn’t love.  (Theme) Pride Goes Before a Fall – Atalanta, confident in her own ability, does not forsee Melanion’s cunning and loses the race  (Symbol) Supernatural Intervention – Melanion gets the golden apples with Aphrodite’s assistance  (Symbol) The number three – Three represents unity and the male principle; three golden apples were used by the clever suitor to trick our heroine  (Setting) The Forest – It is in the forest where Atalanta experiences the most of her freedom, her unrestrained natural state of being- the forest represents unrestrained, primitive nature.  (Character) The Hero (Obviously…) – Atalanta, obviously, is the heroine of this story, portrayed with outstanding abilities and endures great hardship