Analysis of a Hmong Mythical Figure : Chi You (Txiv Yawg)

Abstract

Hmong diaspora and transnational situation has created a search for "the Homeland," and the story of the Hmong mythical king Chi You (Txiv Yawg) has offered a sense of "origin" for the Hmong people (Yang 2009). Because the history of the Hmong has been passed down orally, scholars and Hmong communities' continuously debate on the validity of Chi You's origin story (Lemoine 2008). The purpose of this study was to analyze the validity and complex story of Chi You.