indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Gender Feminine
Usage Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek, Astronomy
Scripts Ἑλίκη(Ancient Greek)
Other Forms FormsHelice (Latinized form)
Meaning & History
Means "something that winds; crack willow (species Salix fragilis)" in Greek. Compare the masculine form Helix.
In antiquity, Helike was a common name for the northern constellation Ursa Major (because it revolves around the pole). According to Greek myth she was a nymph whom Zeus changed into the constellation because she had nursed him as an infant on Crete. In 2005 this name was given to a moon of Jupiter.
In antiquity, Helike was a common name for the northern constellation Ursa Major (because it revolves around the pole). According to Greek myth she was a nymph whom Zeus changed into the constellation because she had nursed him as an infant on Crete. In 2005 this name was given to a moon of Jupiter.