Two Legends and a Mythological Tale  in the Sky

Constellations in the night sky have captivated human curiosity for thousands of years, adorned with mythological stories that create a visual spectacle. Ursa Major (the Great Bear) and Ursa Minor (the Little Bear)  are two of the most prominent and recognizable constellations in the sky, offering a wealth of scientific and mythological richness.

Ursa Major (the Great Bear) and Ursa Minor (Little Bear) Constellations:

Ursa Major and Ursa Minor constellations are star formations that can be prominently observed in the northern hemisphere. Ursa Major resembles a large dipper with seven bright stars, while Ursa Minor resembles a small dipper with three stars.

These constellations are positioned closely to each other in the sky. The Great Bear is part of the Ursa Major constellation, and its bright stars are easily noticeable. The Little Bear, on the other hand, is the main component of the Ursa Minor constellation and is distinguished by containing the North Star, Polaris, which remains nearly fixed in the northern sky, serving as a constant reference point. 

Mythological Tale: Zeus, Callisto, and Arcas, A Myth

According to ancient Greek mythology, these two constellations share a story filled with divine intrigues and transformations. The tale revolves around Callisto, a woman who captured the heart of Zeus.

The goddess Artemis, daughter of Zeus and Leto and twin sister of Apollo, is known in Greek mythology as the goddess of nature, protector of animals, goddess of the moon and chastity, and the goddess of the hunt. Similar to Hestia and Athena, she is one of the virgin goddesses and emphasizes the importance of chastity among her followers. Callisto was one of Artemis’s loyal followers, dedicated to the goddess and her pursuits.

Despite being a faithful follower of Artemis, Callisto’s beauty attracted the attention of Zeus. Zeus approached Callisto either in his divine form or disguised as Artemis. Regardless, a union occurred, and Callisto became pregnant. Trying to conceal her condition, Callisto was eventually discovered by Artemis during a bath with other women and nymphs.

Artemis, enraged by Callisto’s breaking of the vow, transformed her into a bear and later shot her. Grieving the death caused by his actions, Zeus transformed Callisto into a constellation.

Not wanting the child, Arcas, to suffer the same fate, Zeus sent Hermes to rescue him. When Arcas died, Zeus transformed Arcas into the Ursa Minor constellation.

There is another version of the myth. In this version, Zeus’s wife Hera, enraged by Zeus’ union with Callisto and the birth of a child from this union, turns the woman into a bear. Zeus, anticipating that Hera would go after the child, saves the child and entrusts him to Maia, Hermes’ mother. Arcas later becomes the king of Arcadia (in fact, he becomes the king of Arcadia in both versions). One day, while hunting in the forest, he encounters a bear, of course, he does not know that this bear is his mother, Callisto. (Maybe this is another trick of Hera, who knows?).

When Arkas is about to shoot the bear, which he chases without knowing that it is his mother and finally corners it, Zeus, who is watching from the heavens, does not allow this situation and takes both of them into the sky and turns them into a constellation.

This situation does not satisfy Hera. She goes to the Titan Oceanus and asks that Callisto never bathe in the sea waters.

Indeed, the Great Bear does not sink, at least not where the myth takes place. Of course, this has nothing to do with Hera’s wish, it has everything to do with the location of the stars and the position (latitude / longitude) where the observation is made.

Stars in the Sky and Myths

The mythological narratives surrounding these constellations add a layer of fascination to the scientific study of the stars in the night sky. Observing Ursa Major and Ursa Minor provides an opportunity to connect with both mythological tales and the depths of the universe.