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We study the similar myths of various societies by comparing them to one another. We can compare these myths on the basis of their generic, genetic, or historical relationships. Generic relationships among myths are based on the way people react to common features in their environment. For example, the Maori of New Zealand and the ancient Greeks both had myths that described how the earth became separated from the sky. Genetic relationships. A large society …

…and historical relationships with myths of other cultures. For example, Hesiod describes how the earth became separated from the sky. This myth is generically related to a similar Maori myth. Zeus, a major figure in the Theogony, genetically resembles the Indian god Indra. Hesiod also wrote about successive generations of Greek gods being overthrown by their sons. This myth is historically related to similar myths in other cultures of the ancient Near and Middle East.