Ursa Major, also known as the Great Bear, is named after a she-bear in Greek mythology.

There are a couple of different stories associated with the constellation, but the most common one involves:

* Callisto, a nymph who was loved by Zeus. Hera, Zeus's wife, turned Callisto into a bear out of jealousy. Zeus, in turn, placed Callisto in the sky as Ursa Major to protect her from Hera.

The constellation itself is shaped like a bear, and its most recognizable pattern, the Big Dipper, is thought to represent the bear's tail.