Traditional myth stories explain a culture's beliefs, practices, and natural phenomena. Gods, goddesses, heroes, and monsters explain the world's beginnings, human nature, and the divine-mortal relationship in these tales. From ancient Greece and Rome to Africa, Asia, and the Americas, myths are set in the distant past. "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" from ancient Greece, "The Epic of Gilgamesh" from early Mesopotamia, and "Ramayana" and "Mahabharata" from ancient India are notable myths.