Krapiva provides another account of the Ob-Ugric mythology.

Like Kaltesh, who keeps the account of the length of human lives, Yumala was said to provide accurate predictions during the sacrificial ceremonies. Krapiva is of the opinion that Yumala was not "golden", but actually luminous. The Mansi word sorin means both "gold" and "sunshine". Hence, Yumala could actually be Radiant (like Numi-Turum who was Luminous). The Europeans, unfortunately, were only attracted to the term "golden". As such, she must be compared to Kaltesh, who like her husband Numi-Turum, were quite extraordinary deities. When they were exiled from Heaven, the pair lands on Earth, and send their six (according to Krapiva, not seven-P.S.) sons to all corners of the planet. To move around the sons use a winged cloud, and communicate only with those human beings who possess exceptional abilities. Numi-Turum dwells alone, in a bright house or dwelling on the "seventh heaven". It is from there that he sends his messengers to Earth, but on occasions he does receive human messengers who are worthy to associate with him (the Khanty, I must add, believed that even the shamans could only get to the fifth heaven or floor of the upper world-P.S.). The dwelling of Numi-Turum is fascinating. There are vessels containing "living" and "dead" water. The master of this dwelling can teach worthy people different useful trades and arts, as well as healing. Once his spouse Keltesh requested that he strengthen the Earth with an iron belt. He obliged, and the belt became the Ural Mountains. Hence, Numi-Turum knew about iron ores of the Urals in the ancient times. He was able to perform all sorts of miracles. When the time came for him to die, Numi-Turum immersed himself in the Deluge waters, and regained his youth.

Then Krapiva adds an episode about Nuri-Turum that echoes mythologies of ancient China and Minoan Crete. Kaltesh needed to defend herself from hostile entities, and Nuri-Turum obliged by creating the menkvi, gigantic werewolves. Their bodies were invincible. But even if something destroys the menkvi, there is a way to repair the damage. It is possible to create a new menkvi from bodies of his fallen comrades. Just as it it's possible to use parts of robots to build another robot.

And this bit of information about the menkvi leads us to the Orient.

Huang-ti, the legendary Chinese Emperor, had fascinating assistants who had developed civilization in the south of China. Their exact nature is hard to discern whether the assistants were living organisms, independent mechanisms, or remotely controlled robots. Ancient sources name them "Chi Yu and his brothers." The brethren were identical. Chi Yu had four eyes (at least, considered as such), six arms, or manipulators.

Chi Yu's head: it was made from copper and had a metallic forehead, and strange tridents in place of ears. According to the local legends, the metallic head was cut off the body (with all appropriate safeguards), and buried separately. Years later this head continued to emit heat. On occasions a reddish steam-like cloud would come from the burial site. Chi Yu was able to move in the rugged areas, like an all terrain vehicle, and had ability to fly albeit for a short time span. The creature ate "stones and sand" and through this diet it obtained energy that was necessary for the creature's movements. Most likely they were complex autonomous mechanisms, akin to robots.

The next destination is the fascinating, mysterious and fabulous ancient civilization, the Minoan Crete.

In Greek mythology, Cronus was the son of Uranus and Gaia and the youngest of the twelve Titans. Zeus was the youngest son of Cronus and Rhea. He became the supreme ruler of Mount Olympus and of the Pantheon of deities who dwelt there. Zeus led the rebellion against his father and the dynasty of the Titans, defeated and then banished them. Talos was the giant bronze protector of Crete, a creature made of bronze, given by Zeus to Europa and their little sons after he defeated Cronus, to be their protector and guardian of Crete . . .

He was the last of a generation of men of bronze, sprung from the ash-trees. Talos guarded Crete by running around the island three times every day. Upon seeing the intruders appear, he pelted them with huge rocks (as he did against the expedition of the Argonauts). A Soviet researcher of the antiquity, A. B. Snisarenko, in his wonderful book Vlastiteli antichnikh morey (Moscow, 1986) writes that when Talos was unable to sink the invader' ships, he would make his body red-hot by standing in a fire, then ambush the trespassers upon their landing, and finish them off through his embrace.

There was yet another curious deity of the Ob-Ugric people. She was Chooros nai anki (chooros means 'ocean', nai means 'female deity', as well as 'fire' or 'flame'; anki means 'mother').

Although any information about this deity is very contradictory, two researchers were able to find out interesting details from the Khanty mythology and just comprehensive scholarship. It was published in Pro Ethnologia , Issue 11, under the title of Yavun-iki, the Master of Yugan as the Cultural Symbol of Yugan Khanties. The authors are Irina Karapetova and Karina Solovyova.

Based on their research, Chooros nai anki emerged as the mother of "the celestial fire and everything living", and as "the most powerful god", said to be living in the Eastern Ocean and is the goddess of the "Eastern fiery ocean", or "the sea fire". Some sources state that she is mother of Torum. She is considered to be a figure of "alien fire, "to be identified with the violent, worldwide whirlwind or fiery deluge; she can be so powerful as to "be the mistress of the destinies of other souls".

Perhaps future research efforts will find out whether the Golden Woman of the Ob-Ugric people was Chooros nai anki.

Here is what else known about the Golden Woman throughout the ages.