Callisto (mythology) - Myth, Origin of the myth, Popular culture

In Greek mythology, an Arcadian nymph attendant upon Artemis. Loved by Zeus, she became pregnant, and was sent away from the virgin band. Hera changed her into a she-bear; and after 15 years had passed, her son tried to spear her. Zeus took pity on them, and changed her into the constellation Ursa Major and her son into Arctophylax.

Myth

As a follower of Artemis, Callisto, whom Hesiod said was the daughter of Lycaon, king of Arcadia, took a vow to remain a virgin, as did all the nymphs of Artemis. Callisto was then turned into a bear, as Hesiod had told it:

"but afterwards, when she was already with child, was seen by her bathing and so discovered. Later, Arcas, the eponym of Arcadia, nearly killed his mother in a hunt but Zeus placed them both in the sky as the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. In another variant, Callisto's son, Arcas, nearly killed his mother while hunting, but Zeus or Artemis stopped him and placed them both in the sky as Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Out of revenge, Juno turns Callisto into a bear. Later, when Arcas unknowingly meets his mother Callisto in the forest, Jupiter prevents Arcas from spearing Callisto and brings both of them into the stars for Callisto to become Ursa Major or the Great Bear and Arcas to become Arcas the Bear Warden, Little Bear, or Ursa Minor.

Hera was not pleased with the placement of Callisto and Arcas in the sky, so she asked her nurse, Tethys, to help.

Origin of the myth

The myth may be derived from the fact that a set of constellations appear close together in the sky, in and near the Zodiac sign of Libra, namely Ursa Minor, Ursa Major, Boötes, and Virgo.

Boötes, since it resembles a male stick-figure, is in some versions of the myth explicitly identified as Arcas (untransformed), and was in myths elsewhere said represents a male god.

The combination of a god and goddess and two bears in the same area of sky may have led to a transformation myth, associating the bears either as the god and goddess transformed, or as some thing they have cast out.

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Popular culture

In popular culture, Callisto is portrayed by Hudson Leick in Xena: Warrior Princess ( Callisto (Xena) )