The miaos call themselves " zhuang " , " mongol " , " mao " , guoxiong " and " daishou " etc . besides , various names have before " miao " , such as " long skirt miao " , " short skirt miao " , " red miao " and " black miao " , etc . the miao s ancestry came from the clans and tribes known as " south babarian " four thousand years ago from the yellow river basin and the south of middle reach of yangtze river , according to historical records 古史传说中与黄帝炎帝有合有战的蚩尤，是苗族人尊奉的祖先。分布在各地的苗族人有许多自称，如“牡” “蒙” “毛” “果雄” “带叟”等，还有些地方按其住地服饰等方面的不同，在“苗”字前冠以不同的名称，如“长裙苗” “短裙苗” “长角苗” “红苗” “黑苗”等。
