Why do kayan tribe women wear neck ring? Myanmar (Burma)

Question

I saw a picture of kayan tribe women today. She was wearing a long stack of neck rings.

• Why do they wear this ring
• Is there any benefit of this
• Do they keep it all the times
• What problems to they face with this?

Answer 1

The Kayan tribes, also known as Padaung in popular culture, are a subgroup of the Kayan Lahwi tribe in Thailand, and some people refer to them as the "Karen long neck village Chiang Mai." The rib cage is compressed and the collar bone is pushed downward by the weight of the brass. The clavicle distortion causes the appearance of a stretched neck rather than the neck itself.

Why Kayan women wear long necked ring ?

• While some natives claim that the brass coils protect women from being kidnapped by neighbouring tribes, others claim that they shield them from tiger attacks that target the neck.
• Nowadays, the prevailing theory is that neck coils are worn to preserve cultural traditions. The neck coils may seem to have a decorative purpose in addition to providing protection.
• The lengthy necks of the Kayan ladies have earned them the nickname "the giraffe women." Their neck jewellery is often referred to as "Padaung." For tourists, these features continue to be a show.
• Because the rings are so expensive, not all families can purchase them. Its cost keeps rising through time and usage.

Benefits of wearing neck ring :

It has been theorised that the coils are worn because they prevent women from becoming slaves, making them less desirable to other tribes, or because they give the wearers of the coils the appearance of a dragon, a significant figure in Kayan folklore.