Yeah, all of this is absolute horseshit. (Or should I say “bear shit.”)

Because it’s not referring to living bears in any way, shape, or form. The “bear” in the Arctic and Antarctic is referring to the constellation Ursa Major or the “Great Bear” that’s visible in the northern sky. Thus, the Greeks in naming something “Antarctica” were just saying “opposite of the north” because the north is what Ursa Major was associated with.

The Greeks had no beliefs either way about which areas were inhabited by bears.

Folk etymology is so stupid and clownish.