Goddess Callisto  

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Goddess Callisto Image
"IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY, CALLISTO "WAS A NYMPH; HER NAME MEANS "MOST BEAUTIFUL", "AND SHE WAS TRUE TO HER NAME...A LOVELY YOUNG MAIDEN. SHE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH ARTEMIS, THE GODDESS OF THE HUNT, AND, AS SUCH, NOT ONLY HUNTED WITH THE GODDESS, BUT ALSO PROMISED TO REMAIN A VIRGIN JUST AS THE GODDESS HERSELF, AND CALLISTO HELD THESE IDEALS FAITHFULLY. AS A RESULT, SHE SOON BECAME ONE OF ARTEMIS'S FAVORITES.

THE, ONE DAY, HER BEAUTY HAPPENED TO CATCH THE EYE OF ZEUS, AND HE KNEW IMMEDIATELY THAT HE JUST HAD TO HAVE HER. BUT, HE ALSO KNEW THAT AS ARTEMIS COMPANION, SHE HAD TAKEN THE VOW OF CHASTITY, SO HE KNEW THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO RESORT TO DECEPTION. HE CAME TO THE BEAUTIFUL NYMPH DISGUISED AS ARTEMIS AND GAINED HER CONFIDENCE SO THAT SHE LET HER GUARD DOWN.

CALLISTO BECAME PREGNANT AS A RESULT; SHE TRIED DESPERATELY TO HIDE IT FROM ARTEMIS, BUT EVENTUALLY, SHE COULD HIDE IT NO MORE. WHEN ARTEMIS SAW HER SWOLLEN BELLY, SHE THREW A FIT AND BANISHED CALLISTO TO HAVE HER CHILD ALONE....AND IT WAS THEN THAT THE JEALOUS HERA DECIDED TO TAKE HER REVENGE. SHE GRABBED CALLISTO BY THE HAIR AND FLUNG HER TO THE GROUND, TRANSFORMING THE YOUNG NYMPH INTO A BEAR. HERA THEN WENT TO ARTEMIS AND TRIED TO CONVINCE HER THAT CALLISTO WAS A MERE NORMAL BEAR AND THAT THE GODDESS WOULD SLAY HER; BUT HERMES INTERVENED AND SAVED THE BABE, ARCAS (BEAR), BY TAKING HIM FROM FROM HIS MOTHER'S WOMB...THEN BRINGING THE BABE TO HIS OWN MOTHER, MAIA, TO BE RAISED. ZEUS ALSO CAME TO CALLISTO'S RESCUE AND TURNED HER INTO THE CONSTELLATION, ARCTOS...THE GREAT SHE BEAR OR URSA MAJOR. THIS WAS A SIGN OF HIS LOVE FOR HER; SOON THEREAFTER, SHE WAS JOINED BY HER SON WHO BECAME THE LITTLE BEAR.

AND STILL, HERA CONTINUED TO HOLD A GRUDGE AGAINST CALLISTO; SO, SHE WENT TOTETHYS AND OCEANUS AND PERSUADED THEM NOT TO ALLOW CALLISTO TO ENTER THEIR REALM...THE OCEAN. AND SO IT IS THAT CALISTO MUST FOREVER CIRCLE THE NORTH STAR AND NEVER BE ABLE TO SET OVER THE HORIZON...AND THIS IS WHY THE GREAT BEAR AND THE LITTLE BEAR ARE CURSED TO CIRCLE THE SKIES, NEVER TO DIP BELOW THE HORIZON TO FEEL AN OCEAN WAVE.

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This entry was posted on 14 July 2010 at Wednesday, July 14, 2010 . You can follow any responses to this entry through the .

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