Before the advent of science, humankind needed a way to explain the way the world worked, and where our place in it was. One of the earliest theories was that gods were directing the various aspects of the universe. Each god had its own specific realm of importance, and each required different means of propitiation. Although later supplanted in most of the world by Monotheistic beliefs, the belief in multiple deities lasted quite strongly in several parts of the world, notably in India with the Hindu religion. Even today, the Polytheistic imagery of the past pervades our world view, and the stories of these gods are still amongst our greatest literature.