However in previous civilizations without science, these stories are considered to be real, filled most people with fear and horror. Today everyone realizes these stories are untrue. It would be a waste of time and energy to examine each story and find the flaws that make it mythical. On the other hand, these stories have importance. Through the myths of a society an understanding of the culture can be reached.
Myths provide the reader with a window into the culture.
For example, some myths stress attributes desirable to a culture, or others tell of traits that have been deemed undesirable. A general mind set of the culture can also be determined from these stories. These are only a few justifications for studying the myths of a culture. Many aspects of myths can be studied to learn about a culture. However, for the purpose of this discussion, the two most important aspects are, why did the culture create these stories of the seas, and what kind of view did the people have and how did it affect the tales' creation.