In Greek mythology

Greek mythology

Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...

, the Meleagrids were the daughters of Althaea and Oeneus

Oeneus

In Greek mythology, Oeneus, or Oineus was a Calydonian king, son of Porthaon and Euryte, husband of Althaea and father of Deianeira, Meleager, Toxeus, Clymenus, Periphas, Agelaus, Thyreus , Gorge, Eurymede, Mothone, Perimede and Melanippe...

, sisters of Meleager

Meleager

In Greek mythology, Meleager was a hero venerated in his temenos at Calydon in Aetolia. He was already famed as the host of the Calydonian boar hunt in the epic tradition that was reworked by Homer....

. When their brother died, they cried incessantly until Artemis

Artemis

Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...

 changed them into guineafowl

Guineafowl

The guineafowl are a family of birds in the Galliformes order, although some authorities include the guineafowl as a subfamily, Numidinae, of the family Phasianidae...

 and transferred them to the island of Leros

Leros

Leros is a Greek island and municipality in the Dodecanese in the southern Aegean Sea. It lies 317 km from Athens's port of Piraeus, from which it can be reached by an 11-hour ferry ride . Leros is part of the Kalymnos peripheral unit...

. Guinea fowls were kept in the shrine of The Maiden (likely Artemis) on Leros, and the inhabitants of the island, as well as other worshippers of Artemis, abstained from eating the bird.

Hence the names of some species of guineafowl refer to the Meleagrids: Numida meleagris and Agelastes meleagrides. Also the family name for turkeys is meleagrididae.

The Meleagrids included Melanippe

Melanippe

In Greek mythology, Melanippe referred to several different people.* Daughter of the Centaur Chiron. Also known as Hippe or Euippe. She bore a daughter to Aeolus, Melanippe or Arne...

 and Eurymede, possibly also Mothone and Perimede

Perimede (mythology)

In Greek mythology, the name Perimede refers to:*A daughter of Oeneus, mother of Astypalaea and Europe by Phoenix .*Sister of Amphitryon and wife of Licymnius....

. Two other daughters of Oeneus, Gorge

Gorge (mythology)

In Greek mythology, the name Gorge may refer to:*Gorge, a daughter of Oeneus and Althaea, and wife of Andraemon. Artemis changed her sisters into birds because of their constant mourning over the death of their brother Meleager, but spared Gorge and her sister Deianeira...

 and Deianeira, were not transformed, since the former was married off to Andraemon

Andraemon

In Greek mythology the name Andraemon, or Andraimôn may refer to:*Son of Oxylus and husband of Dryope.*Father of Oxylus and grandfather of the precedent....

, and the latter to Heracles

Heracles

Heracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...

.