[9급 지방직 영어 2010년 17번]

Myths try to answer several questions. Where did the world come from? What are the gods like, and where did they come from? How did humanity originate? Why is there evil in the world? What happens to people after they die? Myths also try to account for a society's customs and rituals. Beyond giving such explanations, myths are used to justify the way a society lives. Ruling families in several ancient civilizations found justification for their power in myths that described their origin in the world of the gods or in heaven. In India the breakdown of society into castes is based on ancient mythology that emerged in the Indus Valley after 1500 B.C.