Editing Ursa Major (section)

===East Asian traditions===
In China and Japan, the Big Dipper is called the "North Dipper" {{lang|ja-Hani|北斗}} ([[Chinese language|Chinese]]: {{Transliteration|zh|běidǒu}}, [[Japanese language|Japanese]]: {{Transliteration|ja|hokuto}}), and in ancient times, each one of the seven stars had a specific name, often coming themselves from ancient China:

:* "Pivot" {{lang|ja-Hani|樞}} (C: ''shū'' J: ''sū'') is for Dubhe (Alpha Ursae Majoris)
:* "Beautiful jade" {{lang|ja-Hani|璇}} (C: ''xuán'' J: ''sen'') is for Merak (Beta Ursae Majoris)
:* "Pearl" {{lang|ja-Hani|璣}} (C: ''jī'' J: ''ki'') is for Phecda (Gamma Ursae Majoris)
:* "Balance"<ref>{{cite web |title=English-Chinese Glossary of Chinese Star Regions, Asterisms and Star Names |url=https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Space/en_US/web/spm/starshine/resources/constemyth/glossary.html |publisher=[[Hong Kong Space Museum]] |access-date=17 December 2018 |archive-date=17 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181217202511/https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Space/en_US/web/spm/starshine/resources/constemyth/glossary.html |url-status=live }}</ref> {{lang|ja-Hani|權}} (C: ''quán'' J: ''ken'') is for Megrez (Delta Ursae Majoris)
:* "Measuring rod of jade" {{lang|ja-Hani|玉衡}} (C: ''yùhéng'' J: ''gyokkō'') is for Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris)
:* "Opening of the Yang" {{lang|ja-Hani|開陽}} (C: ''kāiyáng'' J: ''kaiyō'') is for Mizar (Zeta Ursae Majoris)
:* Alkaid (Eta Ursae Majoris) has several nicknames: "Sword" {{lang|ja-Hani|劍}} (C: ''jiàn'' J: ''ken'') (short form from "End of the sword" {{lang|ja-Hani|劍先}} (C: ''jiàn xiān'' J: ''ken saki'')), "Flickering light" {{lang|ja-Hani|搖光}} (C: ''yáoguāng'' J: ''yōkō''), or again "Star of military defeat" {{lang|ja-Hani|破軍星}} (C: ''pójūn xīng'' J: ''hagun sei''), because travel in the direction of this star was regarded as bad luck for an army.<ref>The ''[[Bansenshukai]]'', written in 1676 by the ninja master Fujibayashi Yasutake, speak several times about these stars, and show a traditional picture of the Big Dipper in his book 8, volume 17, speaking about astronomy and meteorology (from Axel Mazuer's translation).</ref>

In [[Shinto]], the seven largest stars of Ursa Major belong to [[Ame-no-Minakanushi]], the oldest and most powerful of all [[kami]].

In [[South Korea]], the constellation is referred to as "the seven stars of the north". In the related myth, a widow with seven sons found comfort with a widower, but to get to his house required crossing a stream. The seven sons, sympathetic to their mother, placed stepping stones in the river. Their mother, not knowing who put the stones in place, blessed them and, when they died, they became the constellation.