Callisto was one of Artemis’s hunting companions, until Zeus disguised himself as the goddess herself to get close to her. When Hera found out, she punished her by turning her into a bear, and years later she nearly died at the hands of her own son, who didn’t recognize her. This song tells that tragedy from the mother’s voice, right before Zeus steps in and turns her into stars.
There are several real astronomy clues hidden in the lyrics. One has to do with this constellation’s position in the sky: it never sets below the horizon, it’s always up there, circling around. Two more are a pair of stars that, if you draw a straight line between them, lead you right to the North Star. And the last one is a hidden duo in the bear’s tail, two stars so close together they look like one to the naked eye, until you look closely.
Lyrics
(Du-du-du, du-du…)
(Callisto…)
In the silence of the glade where the shadows play,
He wore the face of Artemis to steal my soul away.
A false embrace of silver, a betrayal carved in gold,
A stolen kiss that left my sacred forest freezing cold.
Cast out by the goddess when my body showed the sign,
Hera stole my human skin and broke this heart of mine! (broke my heart)
On four wild paws I wandered, trapped in fur and claws of stone,
A mother’s spirit crying in a monster all alone! (all alone!)
Look at Ursa Major turning in the frozen sky!
Seven guiding diamonds where the ancient spirits fly! (spirits fly!)
Never shall I drown beneath the ocean’s heavy floor,
Circumpolar queen forever pacing by the door!
(Eh-eh, oh-oh…)
(Shining through the dark!)
(Eh-eh, oh-oh…)
(Mother of the stars!)
Fifteen winters in the pines, I hid my bleeding shame,
Until a youthful hunter walked into my forest plain.
I looked into his eyes and saw my blood, my flesh, my child!
Arcas, my own boy, a stranger in the wild! (my little boy)
I ran to wrap my arms around the flesh I longed to hold,
He only saw a savage beast, ferocious, fierce and bold!
He drew his hunting bow, the trembling arrow aimed to kill,
His mother’s loving heart about to bleed upon the hill! (don’t let it fly!)
Look at Ursa Major turning in the frozen sky!
Seven guiding diamonds where the ancient spirits fly! (spirits fly!)
Never shall I drown beneath the ocean’s heavy floor,
Circumpolar queen forever pacing by the door!
(Eh-eh, oh-oh…)
(Shining through the dark!)
(Eh-eh, oh-oh…)
(Mother of the stars!)
Before the feather left the wood, the lightning tore the night!
Zeus descended like a gale to break the mortal fight! (broke the fight!)
He caught us in a whirlwind, swung us high into the blue,
Turned our sorrow into starlight, eternal, pure and true!
Now Merak and Dubhe stand like pillars in my chest,
Pointing straight to Polaris, where the wandering find their rest! (The Pointers!)
And locked inside my tail, where the riders love to stay,
Mizar and Alcor dance until the break of day!
(The Horse and the Rider!)
(We are one!)
Look at Ursa Major turning in the frozen sky!
Seven guiding diamonds where the ancient spirits fly! (spirits fly!)
Never shall I drown beneath the ocean’s heavy floor,
Circumpolar queen forever pacing by the door!
(Eh-eh, oh-oh…)
(Shining through the dark!)
(Eh-eh, oh-oh…)
(Mother of the stars!)
No arrow can touch us now…
Arcas runs beside me.
(Merak, Dubhe…)
(Du-du-du, du-du…)
Never sinking down.
Like every Astronomika Beats song, this one hides more than one astronomical clue. If you already caught them, tell us in the comments what you found. If not, give it another listen.