Mysterious mechanical creatures resembling robots are not a novelty of our time. Research shows that mankind already at the dawn of civilizations was familiar with creatures with reasonableness and capable of performing tasks. Mentions of such creatures can be found in ancient books and myths of different cultures. However, the question of the reality of these creatures is still open.
One of the most famous examples of such robot-like creatures is Hephaestus, the god of blacksmithing in Greek mythology. According to legend, Hephaestus created golden servant girls with intelligence and strength. His forge also contained copper creatures on three legs that served the gods. This is reminiscent of modern remote-controlled robots.
In ancient China, there was also a similar robot-like creature called Chi-Yu. It had four eyes, six arms and trident ears. Chi-Yu could move and even fly, though not for long. Its food was sand, rocks and metal. After death, the robot’s head was buried in a cave, from which a reddish cloud of vapor occasionally rose. Chi-Yu may have used rocks and sand to produce atomic energy.
Not only ancient Greek and ancient Chinese mythology contain references to robot-like creatures. Northern peoples also have their own legends on the subject. One of them is connected with the Golden Baba, which was worshipped in the valleys of the Northern Dvina, the upper Kama and the Vychegda region. This living golden idol could move and make sounds that sometimes had a negative effect on people.
Some scientists hypothesize that the Golden Baba was an alien robot, perhaps abandoned by its creators because of a breakdown. This hypothesis explains the idol’s ability to move and make sounds. However, over time, the mechanism wore out, and the Golden Baba began to produce sounds in the infrasound range, which had a negative effect on people, causing them fear and panic.
The question of the existence of robot-like creatures in ancient times remains open. However, references to them in different cultures and mythologies indicate that the idea of creating intelligent mechanical beings has been relevant to mankind for many centuries.
