Incredible Neck-Stretching Tradition of Kayan Tribe
The longer the neck, the more beautiful the women.
Every culture has its fair share of unique things that may seem weird or strange in the eyes of strangers. Kayan tribe is no different. When you visit the Kayan tribe(also known as Padaung), the first thing you see is women with apparently longer necks covered with shiny brass coils.
Myanmar’s Kayan tribe now lives in Thailand. When in 1962, the military seized power of then Burma (Myanmar), the Kayan and other tribes were being treated badly due to their customs and traditions. Day by day, the treatment got worse. Finally, to preserve their identity and escape the civil war, they fled to their neighboring country, Thailand.
Now, they live in the northwest province of Mae Hong Son in Thailand, but their fate has not been changed much. They live in the refugee camps with so many problems. They are not permitted to go out of their own small villages, and their children are not eligible for Thai citizenship as well. However, they hardly have opportunities to get a proper education.
Why Kayan Women Stretch Their Necks
There are many reasons behind this neck-stretching tradition of Kayan women. It is believed that Kayan women’s covered their necks with brass coils to protect them from tiger attacks. In the past, the tribe lived in an area surrounded by tigers. Very often, villagers got killed by the tiger. As the tigers clawed at the throat of their victims, they were rings around their neck to keep themselves safe from tiger attacks.
Another reason is the Kayan women wear rings to make them ugly. They did so to save themselves from being kidnapped by the men of neighboring tribes. These neck-rings are also a symbol of wealth as this is a costly thing to do. So the brass coils around a woman’s neck indicate that she is wealthy and holds status in society.
Whatever the reasons are now, these brass coils around their neck make them beautiful and elegant. It’s a symbol of their authentic culture and traditions. Though modern Kayan women feel reluctant to follow this tradition, many love to continue this tradition to separate them from other tribes.
Do Their Necks Really Get Stretched?
Surprisingly, their necks don’t get stretched. This idea of a stretched neck is an illusion in reality. The brass coils push the collar bone and ribs down. Eventually, it looks like the neck becomes longer than usual.
The neck-stretching process can cause serious damage to the collar bones and ribs as well. It also changes the shape of the rib cage and causes health issues.
Even the younger girls wear the rings and they need to add more coils every two or three years. The older they get, the more coils they add around their necks. They do it to keep the tradition continue and believe that it makes them beautiful and attractive.
What Really Happens When They Strech Their Necks
The women who wear brass coils to stretch their necks cannot bend their heads easily. So, it limits their natural movements of the head and neck. It is also heavy to carry around.
As the rings are made from metal, they may get hot during summer and cause chafing. Women use a piece of cloth and natural ointments to protect their skin. Their longer necks do mess up with their vocal cords and make their voices hollow-sounding.
Not only necks, but they also wear brass coils around their legs as a cultural tradition.
Nowadays, many local and western tourists crowd the long-neck villages of Kayan tribes to explore their lives and ancient traditions. This created an opportunity for them to sell handicrafts to tourists and make a living.
But there is controversy about visiting the Kayan tribe as many international organizations claim that it makes the Kayan tribe a ‘human zoo’ and encourages tourists not to visit the Kayan villages.
Though the Thai govt can help the tribe live a good life by offering some opportunities, they don’t seem too interested in this. So, this beautiful Kayan tribe is literally caught between two countries and heading towards a bleak future.
Thank you for reading.
References
- The History of Thailand’s Kayan People
- Why do Kayan long neck women wear their rings?
- Neck Elongation: Rare Facts & Stories About It You Haven’t Heard
- Why Do These Women Stretch Their Necks? | National Geographic
- Meet the Thai Kayan tribe whose women have their necks stretched using coils
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