Maia Callisto with Zeus. Wronged by the love affair, Zeus' wife Hera in a jealous rage had transformed Callisto into a bear. Arcas is the eponym of Arcadia, where Maia was born. The story of Callisto and Arcas, like that of the Pleiades, is an "aition" for a stellar formation, the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, the Great and Little Bear. Her name is related to μαῖα ("maia"), an honorific term for older women related to μήτηρ ("mētēr") 'mother'. "Maia" also means "midwife" in Greek. In ancient Roman religion and myth, Maia embodied the concept of growth, as her name
Ursa Major Wain" or "the Plough" (among others), with its stellar configuration mimicking the shape of the "Little Dipper". The general constellation outline often significantly features in numerous world cultures, and frequently is used as a symbol of the north. e.g. as the flag of Alaska. Also the asterism's two brightest stars, named Dubhe and Merak (α Ursae Majoris and β Ursae Majoris), can be used as the navigational pointer towards the place of the current northern pole star, Polaris in Ursa Minor. Ursa Major is visible throughout the year from most of the northern hemisphere, and appears circumpolar above the mid-northern