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ACHALEOUS, ACHELEOUS, ACHELOYS. Achelous, a river god, was one of Dejanira's suitors. Hercules challenged him to combat, and Achelous changed himself into different forms, last of all into a bull. Hercules broke off one of his horns, defeated him, and won Dejanira (Met IX.4-88; OM IX.1-872).

The Monk mentions the breaking of Achelous's horn, MkT 2106. Lady Philosophy also tells of the fight, Bo IV, Metr 7.43-50.

The forms are variants of OF Acheloüs. Acheloys appears in medial position, MkT 2106; Achaleous occurs in Bo IV, Metr 7.43, and Acheleous appears in Bo IV, Metr 7.45.

Ovid, Met, ed. and trans. F.J. Miller, II: 2-9; OM, ed. C. de Boer, III, deel 30, no. 3: 221-242.
From CHAUCER NAME DICTIONARY
Copyright © 1988, 1996 Jacqueline de Weever
Published by Garland Publishing, Inc., New York and London.
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