Why do Kayan women stretch their necks?
Pan Pat, Myanmar – Women of the Kayan tribe in Myanmar are well known for wearing brass coils around their necks their entire lives in order to lengthen it. The belief is the longer the neck, the more beautiful the woman. The cultural practice does have its drawbacks.
Why do women in Thailand stretch their necks?
But for Padang girls. Pain is a requirement of belonging. The long neck look is actually an illusion.
Why did the Kayan people flee Myanmar to Thailand?
Fleeing internal political unrest and violent clashes between the Myanmar military regime and several ethnic minority armies in the 1980s, Kayan refugees settled in northern Thailand, where they have relied on tourism for a big part of their income. Then the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in March of 2020.
Where are the Kayan people located?
Kayan, indigenous people of central Borneo. They numbered about 27,000 in the late 20th century. The Kayan are settled mainly along the middle reaches of the Baram, Bintulu, and Rajang rivers in Sarawak, Malaysia.
What happens if you take off neck rings?
The rings actually push the collar bone and ribs down, making the neck look longer. If attempts were made to truly lengthen the neck by stretching it, serious damage can be done. It could result in paralysis and even be fatal.
Are neck rings permanent?
Neck rings are still worn permanently by members of many cultures, and it has been somewhat adopted by even Western countries. They are seen semi-regularly as statement pieces, but of course the come right back off once the wearer is done parading it around.
What language do the Kayan people speak?
Padaung or Padaung Karen, also known as Kayan, is a Karen language of Burma, spoken by the Kayan people.
Are neck rings removable?
Traditionally these rings are given to a wife by her husband, and not removed until the husband’s death; however, these rings are individual and do not function as a body modification. The rings are usually made of copper or brass, usually stacked in multiples of 3.
Why do they wear neck rings?
Illusion of elongation
In a few African and Asian cultures neck rings are worn usually to create the appearance that the neck has been stretched. The custom of wearing neck rings is related to an ideal of beauty: an elongated neck. Neck rings push the clavicle and ribs down.
Do neck rings work?
Neck rings push the clavicle and ribs down. The neck stretching is mostly illusory: the weight of the rings twists the collarbone and eventually the upper ribs at an angle 45 degrees lower than what is natural, causing the illusion of an elongated neck.
What happens if you take the neck rings off?
What happens with neck rings?
How many people are in the Kayan tribe?
The population of the Kayan ethnic group may be around 200,000. They are part of a larger grouping of people referred collectively as the Orang Ulu, or upriver people.
What is the Kayan tribe?
The Kayan are a sub-group of Red Karen (Karenni people), Tibeto-Burman ethnic minority of Myanmar (Burma). Most of them are Kayan Lahwi (also called Padaung), the group in which women wear the brass neck coils.