Long ago in ancient Greece, there lived a beautiful nymph named Callisto. One day she angered the goddess Hera, and as punishment, Callisto was transformed into a great bear. As a bear, she wandered the forest, living out her days in sorrow.
Looking up at the sky together outside Byeol-maru’s window, Hyeongseop asked Byeoli a question.
“Byeoli, do those stars shaped like a ladle have a name too?”
“That’s the Great Bear, Ursa Major. The seven bright stars inside it are known as the Big Dipper. And that constellation carries a sad myth of its own.”
Byeoli told the story of Callisto. Years later, Callisto had a son named Arcas. One day, while hunting in the forest, Arcas came across a great bear. Not knowing it was his own mother, he raised his bow and took aim.
“Oh no, so the son didn’t recognize his own mother?”
“That’s right. Watching from the sky, the god Zeus swept both of them up at that very moment and placed them among the stars, as the Great Bear and the Little Bear. Instead of a tragic parting, mother and son were left to stay close together in the night sky forever.”
Hyeongseop looked at the ladle-shaped stars again. Somehow, knowing the story now, the stars felt different than before.
“So what was this constellation actually used for?”
“If you connect the two end stars of the Big Dipper and extend that line about five times its length, you’ll find the North Star. That’s why sailors and travelers long ago used this constellation to find north. The hero of that sad myth turned out to be a guiding star, helping lost travelers find their way.”
“So can you see it all year round?”
“Yes, the Great Bear sits high in the northern sky, so it stays visible almost all year regardless of season. Unlike other constellations that appear and disappear with the seasons, this one keeps watch over the sky the whole time.”
“You said the star at the end of the Little Bear’s tail is the North Star, right?”
“That’s right, good memory. The star at the tip of the Little Bear’s tail is exactly the North Star. Doesn’t it feel even more tender, thinking that a mother and son ended up side by side in the sky, with one quietly showing the other the way?”
Hyeongseop looked up again at the ladle-shaped stars in the night sky. Knowing that a sad story had been etched into the heavens, and had become a compass for lost travelers ever since, stayed with him for a long while.
“Ursa Major carries a sad Greek myth of a mother and son, and the end stars of the Big Dipper can guide you to the North Star.”
Your Turn Now
- Who are the two figures in Ursa Major’s myth?
- What can the Big Dipper help you find?
- Why can Ursa Major be seen year-round?
(Check when ready: 1. Callisto and her son Arcas. 2. The North Star. 3. It sits high in the northern sky.)
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