Was Yao called Yao from the beginning?

The appellation of Yao nationality is very complicated, with 33 exact names, some of which are still unclear. There are many kinds of appellations and rich contents of this nation, which are extremely rare among other nationalities. These appellations not only reflect the national costume culture, but also reflect its production mode and economic characteristics. Some of them are named after slash-and-burn migration, and some are named after planting some cash crops. In this move, some very representative titles are given.

The appellation of Yao nationality is related to clothing: Red Yao, White Collar Yao, White Pant Yao and Landian Yao. Yao Hong's clothes are made of red cloth, and its headscarf is red, so it is named; The collars of white-collar Yao are all made of white cloth; Bai got its name because his trousers were tied up with white cloth from below the knee. Indigo Yao's clothes are made of indigo dyed cloth, so it is called Indigo Yao. The appellations related to the mode of production and economic characteristics are: Yao, Guo, Geng, Cha, Bei, Muxuyao, etc. Some of these appellations are named after land reclamation, slash-and-burn cultivation and frequent migration; Some are named after planting some cash crops, such as Chashanyao; Yao with a basket on his back got its name because he always carries a basket when he goes out to the market and works. Wooden handle Yao is named after carving characters and patterns on handles, hoes and wooden handles. Pan Yao and Pangu Yao are names with both worship and commemorative significance.

As early as the Jin Dynasty, the Yao people had the custom of "mixing fish to make trouble, and knocking on the name of Pan Hu". The mountain surface documents preserved by the Yao people all over the country all record that the Yao people offered sacrifices to Wang Pan (that is, Pan Hu): "The ancestor Wang Pan had spirituality before his death, but he had the virtue of ghosts and gods after his death, so many men and women worshipped ghosts and painted portraits of ghosts and gods, which were widely sacrificed to their descendants and given to Gao Lian forever." Why do Yao people respect and believe in Panwang so much?

According to legend, in ancient times, when the ancestors of Yao nationality migrated across the sea, they were caught in a storm and the ships could not dock. In times of crisis, people thought that their ancestor Wang Pan was spiritual, so they made a wish and asked Wang Pan faeries to save them and protect the ship. Sure enough, after making a wish, the original stormy waves gradually calmed down, and the ferry landed safely, saving the day. Since then, the Yao people have built temples to burn incense and offer sacrifices to Wang Pan, which has been handed down from generation to generation, and have carried out activities to make a wish to return the king. The Yao people who worship Wang Pan are called Pan Yao. Some Yao people are called Pangu Yao because they worship and worship Pangu. It is a folklore that Pangu opened the world. Now the Wang Pan Festival of Yao nationality is to commemorate Wang Pan and Pangu. With the development of society and history, the appellation of Yao has changed to varying degrees, but "Yao" is always the common name of all ethnic groups.

For a long time, the great cohesion formed by the common encounter, common destiny and common national essence has maintained the communication, consensus and unity among the Yao people, making them an inseparable national whole. In the process of national formation and development, Yao nationality has its own particularity, and the characteristics of its different branches in language, social structure, mode of production, culture and art, customs and religious beliefs constitute the colorful traditional cultural characteristics of Yao nationality.