Cosmic myths focus on explaining the nature of the world: how it came to be, why there is evil in the world, how long the world will last, and what happens when people leave this world through death. Many myths see the world progressively becoming worse until its ultimate destruction. Others see a chance for renewal. These views of order and chaos, and the conflict between them, mirror the world of human life. People want their lives to be ordered because order suggests safety. The sun will come up tomorrow, just as it did yesterday and the day before. But these myths also remind people that the everyday order can change in a moment. Floods, fire, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, plagues--the world of order is always precariously in danger of being overthrown. And these myths try to explain the source of that chaos--a capricious god, an evil god or being, human wrongdoing--these questions continue to face us. Why do good people suffer? Why do innocents, like children, suffer? What is the meaning of life? Will it get better? Who is to blame?