Callisto and her son Arcas transformed as the Great Bear and the Bear Warden.
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Courtesy of Nova Development Corporation
Callisto was a river goddess. Callisto was thefavorite companion of the moon goddessDiana. One day the god Jupiter saw the beautiful Callisto and fell in love with her. Knowing that Diana had warned Callisto about men and gods, Jupiter pretended he was the goddess Diana.
In this disguise, Jupiter made the beautiful Callisto his girlfriend. She gave birth to a boy child named Arcas. Jupiter's wife Juno was mad and changed Callisto into a bear.
One day, when Arcas was a young man, he decided to go hunting. Callisto saw her son and, forgetting that she was a bear, rushed toward him to give him a hug.
In fear of his life, Arcas lifted his bow and shot at the chargingbear. At the last moment, just before the arrow struck, Jupiter tossed Callisto and her son Arcas into the heavens as the constellations Ursa Major, the Great Bear and Bootes, the Bear Warden. Arcas is always found standing next to his mother.
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