1. Four fundamental questions that myths address are "What is the nature of the universe in which I live in?", "How can I balance my own desires with my responsibilities to my community?", "How can I reconcile myself to the inevitably of death?", and "How much control do I have over my own life?".
2. Four themes in world mythology are that the first parents are often the gods of sky and earth, the gods destroy at least one world of mortals by causing great floods, heroes are children of gods who have an unusual birth, posses extraordinary strength, kill monsters with special weapons, embark on an arduous journey, descend into the underworld as part of their task, have an unusual death, and lastly in the world as in nature, birth, maturity, and death are followed by rebirth.
3. Most of the major cultures start with the beginning of the universe as a chaotic, formless mass that a god or pair of gods separate. The gods multiply so that each can have his or her particular role in the universal scheme, and the creator-god brings life to earth in the form of plants, animals, and humans.
4. Hero myths and epics teach members of society the appropriate attitudes, behavior, and values of that culture.
5. Ordinary people identify with heroes by performing deeds that help their community, and they inspire others to emulate them.
6. The foundation of the Matriarchal Society was based on agriculture.
7. Sigmund Freud and his followers view myths as the expression of the individual's unconscious wishes, fears, and drives.
8. Myths demonstrate that people possess the intellectual capacity to understand the world in which they live.
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