![]() ![]() The Hall of the Big Dipper in a Taoist temple, Wuhan According to the legend, Fávdna stands ready to fire his Bow every night but hesitates because he might hit Stella Polaris, known as Boahji ("the Rivet"), which would cause the sky to collapse and end the world. The constellation features prominently in the Sámi national anthem, which begins with the words Guhkkin davvin dávggáid vuolde sabmá suolggai Sámieanan, which translates to "Far to the north, under the Bow, the Land of the Sámi slowly comes into view." The Bow is an important part of the Sámi traditional narrative about the night sky, in which various hunters try to chase down Sarva, the Great Reindeer, a large constellation that takes up almost half the sky. In the main Sámi language, North Sámi it is called Fávdnadávgi ("Fávdna's bow") or simply dávggát ("the bow"). In the Sámi languages of Northern Europe, the constellation is identified as the bow of the great hunter Fávdna (the star Arcturus). Other names for the constellation include Perkūno Ratai ("The Wheels of Perkūnas"), Kaušas ("The Bucket"), Vežimas ("The Carriage"), and Samtis ("The Ladle"). In Lithuanian, the stars of Ursa Major are known as Didieji Grįžulo Ratai ("The Big Back Wheels"). The bear relation is claimed to stem from the animal's resemblance to-and mythical origin from-the asterism rather than vice versa. In Finnish, the figure is known as Otava with established etymology in the archaic meaning 'salmon net', although other uses of the word refer to 'bear' and 'wheel'. In Hungarian, it is commonly known as "Göncöl's Wagon" ( Göncölszekér) or, less often, "Big Göncöl" ( Nagy Göncöl) after a táltos ( shaman) in Hungarian mythology who carried medicine that could cure any disease. Romanian and most Slavic languages also call it the "Great Wagon". In Italian, it is called either the "Great Wagon" ( Grande Carro) or "Orsa Maggiore" ("Greater Bear"). In Dutch, its official name is the "Great Bear" ( Grote Beer), but it is popularly known as the " Saucepan" ( Steelpannetje). Likewise, in the North Germanic languages, it is known by variations of "Charles's Wagon" ( Karlavagnen, Karlsvogna, or Karlsvognen), but also the "Great Bear" ( Stora Björn), and to the Norse pagans, it was known as Óðins vagn " Woden's wagon". In German, it is known as the "Great Wagon" ( Großer Wagen) and, less often, the "Great Bear" ( Großer Bär). An older " Odin's Wain" may have preceded these Nordic designations. A folk etymology holds that this derived from Charlemagne, but the name is common to all the Germanic languages and the original reference was to the churls' (i.e., the men's) wagon, in contrast to the women's wagon, (the Little Dipper). The terms Charles's Wain and Charles his Wain are derived from the still older Carlswæn. Former names include the Great Wain (i.e., wagon), Arthur's Wain or Butcher's Cleaver. The symbol of the Starry Plough has been used as a political symbol by Irish Republican and left wing movements. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, this pattern is known as the Plough (Irish: An Camchéachta – the bent plough). Classical Greek mythography identified the "Bear" as the nymph Callisto, changed into a she-bear by Hera, the jealous wife of Zeus. ![]() In Latin, these seven stars were known as the "Seven Oxen" ( septentriones, from septem triōnēs). ![]() The name "Bear" is Homeric, and apparently native to Greece, while the "Wain" tradition is Mesopotamian.īook XVIII of Homer's Iliad mentions it as "the Bear, which men also call the Wain". The "bear" tradition is Indo-European (appearing in Greek, as well as in Vedic India), but apparently the name "bear" has parallels in Siberian or North American traditions. The constellation of Ursa Major ( Latin: Greater Bear) has been seen as a bear, a wagon, or a ladle.
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