The constellation of
Ursa Major (
Latin: Greater Bear) has been seen as a
bear, a
plough, a
wagon, or a
ladle. 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.
European astronomy The name "Bear" is
Homeric, and apparently native to Greece, while the "Wain" tradition is Mesopotamian. Book XVIII of
Homer's Iliad mentions it as "the Bear, which men also call the Wain". In
Latin, these seven stars were known as the "Seven Oxen" ('
, from '). Classical Greek mythography identified the "Bear" as the nymph
Callisto, changed into a she-bear by
Hera, the jealous wife of
Zeus. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, this pattern is known as the Plough (Irish: An Camchéachta – the bent plough). The
symbol of the Starry Plough has been used as a political symbol by
Irish Republican and Irish left wing movements. Former names include the Great Wain (i.e.,
wagon), Arthur's Wain or Butcher's Cleaver. The terms Charles's Wain and Charles his Wain are derived from the still older
Carlswæn. 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). An older "
Odin's Wain"
may have preceded these
Nordic designations. In
Dutch, its official name is the "Great Bear" (
Grote Beer), but it is popularly known as the "
Saucepan" (
Steelpannetje). In Italian, it is called either the "Great Wagon" (
Grande Carro) or "Orsa Maggiore" ("Greater Bear").
Romanian and most
Slavic languages also call it the "Great Wagon". The famous double star
Mizar/Alcor is also called the Horse and Rider which would make sense when the stars representing horses in a span. In
Hungarian, it is commonly known as "Göncöl's Wagon" ('
) or, less often, "Big Göncöl" (') after a
táltos (
shaman) in
Hungarian mythology who carried medicine that could cure any disease. 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'. The bear relation is claimed to stem from the animal's resemblance to—and mythical origin from—the asterism rather than vice versa. In
Lithuanian, the stars of Ursa Major are known as
Didieji Grįžulo Ratai ("The Big Back Wheels"). Other names for the constellation include
Perkūno Ratai ("The Wheels of
Perkūnas"),
Kaušas ("The Bucket"),
Vežimas ("The Carriage"), and
Samtis ("The Ladle"). In Latvian, it is known as
Lielie Greizie Rati ("The Great Crooked Wagon") or
Lielais Kauss ("The Great Cup"). In the
Sámi languages of Northern Europe, the constellation is identified as the
bow of the great hunter Fávdna (the star
Arcturus). In the main Sámi language,
North Sámi it is called
Fávdnadávgi ("Fávdna's bow") or simply
dávggát ("the bow"). The constellation features prominently in the
Sámi 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. 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.
Arab astronomy The Arabic names
بَنَاتُ نَعْشٍ الكُبْرَى (Banāt Naʿsh al-Kubrā),
بَنُو نَعْشٍ (Banū Naʿsh), and
آلُ نَعْشٍ (Āl Naʿsh) refer to the constellation known in Western astronomy as the
Big Dipper, which is part of Ursa Major. The term
“Banāt Naʿsh” translates to “the daughters of the bier (funeral litter),” reflecting an ancient Arab mythological interpretation of the star pattern. In this context, the four bright stars forming the “bowl” of the Big Dipper represent a funeral bier, while the three stars forming the “handle” symbolize mourners or daughters following behind in a funeral procession. This naming convention is deeply rooted in Arabic oral traditions and ancient Bedouin star lore, where celestial objects were often associated with narratives that mirrored life, death, and human experiences. Such names highlight the rich etymological and mythological traditions of pre-Islamic and early Islamic culture, where stars were used for navigation, storytelling, and timekeeping.
Asian traditions temple,
Wuhan In
Chinese astronomy and
Chinese constellation records, The Big Dipper is called "Beidou" (), which literally means
Northern Dipper. It refers to an asterism equivalent to the Big Dipper. The
Chinese name for
Alpha Ursae Majoris is Beidou Yi () and Tianshu (). The asterism name was mentioned in
Warring States period (c. 475–221 BCE) stellar records, in which the asterism is described to have seven stars in the shape of a dipper or a chariot. The Chinese astronomy records were translated to other
East Asian cultures in the
Sinosphere. The most prominent name is the "Northern Dipper" () and the "Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper" (). In
astrology, these stars are generally considered to compose the Right Wall of the
Purple Forbidden Enclosure which surrounds the
Northern Celestial Pole, although numerous other groupings and names have been made over the centuries. Similarly, each star has a distinct name, which likewise has varied over time and depending upon the asterism being constructed. The personification of the Big Dipper itself is also known as "
Doumu" () in
Chinese folk religion and
Taoism, and
Marici in
Buddhism. In
Vietnam, the colloquial name for the asterism is
Sao Bánh lái lớn (The Big
Rudder Stars), contrasted with
Ursa Minor, which is known as
Sao Bánh lái nhỏ (The Little Rudder Stars). Although this name has now been replaced by the Sino-Vietnamese "Bắc Đẩu" in everyday speech, many coastal communities in
central and
southern Vietnam still refer to the asterism as such and use it to navigate when their fishing vessels return from the sea at night. In
Shinto religion, the seven largest stars of Ursa Major belong to
Ame-no-Minakanushi, the oldest and most powerful of all
kami. In
Malay, it is known as the "Boat Constellation" (''
); in Indonesian, as the "Canoe Stars" (Bintang Biduk''). In
Burmese, these stars are known as
Pucwan Tārā (ပုဇွန် တာရာ, pronounced "bazun taja").
Pucwan (ပုဇွန်) is a general term for a
crustacean, such as
prawn,
shrimp,
crab,
lobster, etc. In
Thai, they are known as the "Crocodile Stars" (''
). 47 Ursae Majoris is also named Chalawan'', the mythological crocodile from Thai folklore. While its Western name comes from the star pattern's resemblance to a
kitchen ladle, in
Filipino, the Big Dipper and its sister constellation the
Little Dipper are more often associated with the
tabo, a one-handled water pot used ubiquitously in Filipino households and bathrooms for purposes of personal hygiene. In the earliest
Indian astronomy, the Big Dipper was called "the Bear" (Ṛkṣa, ) in the
Rigveda, but was later more commonly known by the name of
Saptarishi, "Seven Sages."
In North America The asterism name "Big Dipper" is mostly used in the
United States and
Canada. However, the origin of the term is disputed. A popular myth claimed the name originated from
African-American folk songs; however, a more recent source challenges the authenticity of the claim. In an 1824 book on the history of the constellations' mythology, contrasted the "Dipper or Ladle" descriptors used in the United States with "Charles's Wagon or Wain" which were common in England. Descriptions of "the dipper" appear in American astronomy textbooks throughout the 19th century. ==Stars==