Chiyou () is a mythological being that appears in Chinese mythology. He was a tribal leader of the Nine Li tribe () in ancient China. He is best known as a king who lost against the future Yellow Emperor during the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors era in Chinese mythology. According to the Song dynasty history book Lushi, Chiyou's surname was Jiang (), and he was a descendant of the Flame Emperor.
Chiyou is often associated with chaos and war, earning him the status of a demon god in later mythological interpretations, especially in northern China. In some Daoist traditions, he is considered a demon or evil god representing war and violence. His image has also been used as a protective figure, especially by soldiers, who see him as a war deity capable of offering protection in battle. Conversely, for some Hmong people, Chiyou or Txiv Yawg was a sagacious mythical king. He has a particularly complex and controversial ancestry, as he may fall under Dongyi He had four eyes and six arms, wielding terrible sharp weapons in every hand, similar to a description of fangxiangshi. In some sources, Chiyou had certain features associated with various mythological bovines: his head was that of a bull with two horns, although the body was human, and his hindquarters were those of a bear. Some sources have asserted that the figure 81 should rather be associated with 81 clans in his kingdom. Chiyou knows the constellations and the ancients spells for calling upon the weather. For example, he called upon a fog to surround Huangdi and his soldiers during the Battle of Zhuolu.
Tribe
thumb|right|Chiyou. Han dynasty stone carving.
Chiyou is regarded as a leader of the Nine Li tribe (, RPA ) by nearly all sources. In the ancient Zhuolu Town is a statue of Chiyou commemorating him as the original ancestor of the Miao people. The place is regarded as the birthplace of the Sanmiao / Miao people, Chiyou has also been counted as part of the Dongyi. The battle dragged on for days while the emperor's side was in danger. The mythical title God of War was given to Chiyou because the Yellow Emperor and Yan Emperor could not defeat Chiyou alone. Altogether, Chiyou won nine major battles including 80 minor confrontations. On the 10th and final war, both emperors combined their forces and conquered Chiyou. Chiyou remains as a figure of worship today.
In one mythical episode, after Chiyou had claimed he could not be conquered,
Chiyou is also identified with the Taotie motif present on ritual bronze vessels. The historian , in his work the Lushi, writes of Chiyou that the Yellow Emperor "cut his head off; and for this reason sages later cast his portrait on bronzes to warn the greedy." Luo Bi's son, , then expanded on this, writing that: