in Chinese mythology, Lord of Millet Grains, who was worshiped for the abundant harvests that he graciously provided for his people. The Chinese honoured him not only for past favours but in the hope that devotion to the deity would guarantee continued blessings. An old tradition explained that Hou Chi was miraculously conceived when his childless mother stepped on the toeprint of a god. The child, reared in a forest by birds and animals, served as minister of agriculture in prehistoric times. Sacrifices in his honour were offered by rulers of the Hsia dynasty (22nd–18th/19th century BC) and of the later Chou dynasty (600–255 BC), which claimed him as their ancestor.