URSA MAJOR

Since time immemorial, people have used a single source of way finding consistently. And it's... holy shit, a giant bear?? RUN FOR YOUR LIVES.

The "Great Bear" in the sky has been used across civilizations in stories and navigation. Famously containing the Big Dipper in its great constellation, Ursa Major is visible year-round throughout most of the Northern Hemisphere. So it makes sense its lineage is prehistorical. The two outer stars of the Big Dipper point directly to Polaris, the North Star, which definitely comes in handy if you don't have GPS and it's the year 1,000,000 BC.

Ursa Major has been referenced in Arabian, Greek, Roman and Hindu Folklore. It also plays a role in Judaism and Christianity, Native American traditions and the list goes on. While the constellation is not always explicitly a bear in ancient writings, it is always of prime significance.

The idea of the bear likely came from the Greeks, where a story of Zeus anthropomorphizing his mistress Callisto and whisking her into the sky set the stage for many stories to come across cultures. And in that telling, the idea of safety and security resonates across time. Homer wrote in The Odyssey that Ursa Major was used so prominently in celestial navigation because it is one of the few constellations that never sinks below the horizon. Wherever you go on your adventures, the Great Bear is watching over you.

See you out there.