Tale of the Big Dipper. Legends of Greek mythology for children.

The constellation Ursa Major is the most visible in the sky. We can see it all year round over our heads, since it is very close to the North Pole. This constellation is also known as Gran Cuchara or Carro Mayor . Its history goes back to the Greek era cuando, when men were subject to the designs of

The constellation Ursa Major is the most visible in the sky. We can see it all year round over our heads, since it is very close to the North Pole. This constellation is also known asGran Cuchara or Carro Mayor

. Its history goes back to theGreek era cuando, when men were subject to the designs of the gods of Olympus. We leave you this

legend of Greek mythology for children. Tale of the Big Dipper. Legends of Greek mythology for children.On the skies of Olympus, cradle of the gods that dominated Greece, reigned a powerful god named Zeus.

One day, he fell in love with a nymph, called

Callisto , who used to hunt in the forests of Arcadia, and went down to earth to try to conquer his heart.

Callisto fell at his feet, for Zeus looked imposing; So they decided to spend much of their lives together.

But, there was a problem: The god Zeus was marriedto the goddess Hera, goddess of marriage, and could not be free to live with Callisto.

So the goddess Hera became very jealous, and sent a punishment la to poor Callisto. - From now on, you will become a bear! I condemn you to wander alone through the forests of Arcadia the rest of your days.

Callisto had a young son whose name was Arkas, and he never knew why his mother did not come home one afternoon; and much less that Hera had turned her into a bear.

Arkas, over the years, became an excellent hunter, just as his mother was.

One afternoon while hunting through the forests of Arcadia, he encountered a large bear. That bear was Callisto, his mother. Callisto when he met his son in the forest, he recognized him, and ran out to hug him. But Arkas, seeing the great bear approach him, was frightened tremendously and prepared to shoot him with his great bow. Prepared an arrow, aimed at the heart, and fired.

The arrow took flight towards the center of the bear's chest and, when he was about to touch his heart, Zeus appeared and stopped the arrow, preventing poor

Callisto from being killed

by her own son. Zeus told Arkas how his mother had been transformed into a bear forever and, so that his son could always see her, he grabbed her by the tail and threw her into the infinite sky, drawing in the stars the figure of the Great Ursa Major