In short, an explanation of how the universe came to be.
Most religions have a cosmogeny either explicitly or implicitly.
In any such cosmogeny are the roots of their outlook on the universe. Often simple stories have far reaching cultural ramifications. Gods and Goddesses are our way of symbolizing the unknowable. So I guess at them, with the facts as I know them, the forces and effects that I see. That's all any mortal can do.