[Sources: peoplesoftheworld.org; Sydney Morning Herald], No one is really sure how the custom evolved. Buying the coils is regarded as an investment. "We do it to put on a show for the foreigners and tourists!" Adultery among Padaung women has always been punished by the removal of the rings, a fate almost literally, worse than death. There were no men in sight and only a handful of tourists during my two-hour visit. The Padaung have said that this practice originated to protect women from tigers, which often attack a victim by biting the neck. "This is our culture. It does severely hamper mobility in conjunction with brass coils wound around the ankles and calves up to the knee. Corrections? Then Thai officials from Chiangmai came to the Karennis to request the Padaung women's presence at a tourist fair in their city. Since World War II, as the Padaung have become less isolated from neighboring Karen and Karenni, the neck spiraling process has been on the wane. At about the age of 6, girls are allowed to choose whether or not to put on the rings. Padaung women has always been punished by the removal of the rings, a fate almost literally, worse than death. Hostages to Tourism | Cultural Survival Removal is said to have been used as a punishment for adultery; unbraced, the woman's neck would flop over and she would suffocate. A Padaung women of marriageable age will probably have had her neck extended by aboui 25 cms. [13] It includes the belief that the Kayan people are the result of a union between a female dragon and a male human/angel hybrid.[14]. Questions or comments, e-mail ajhays98@yahoo.com, Ethnic Minorities - Hill Tribes from the Golden Triangle. The tradition of wearing bronze rings round the neck is slowly being discarded but there are still a few who continue to follow this age-old custom. The fair featured booths showing the crafts and customs of various tribal groups in the province, as well as the "Miss Hill Tribe" beauty contest, notorious for the postcontest auction of teenaged contestants to provincial administrators and police. (We quickly returned to explain to the tribal chief that I was asking questions, not complaining, but, unsurprisingly, he did not issue a correction over the village intercom.) The first set of coils have a break at about the seventh rung above the clavicle to permit head mobility. The coil weakens the neck muscles and often bruise and discolor the collarbone. The Padaung's famous long-necked women wear brass coils not rings around their necks. "He is very worried that visitors will stop coming," my guide, who served as my interpreter, told me as we left and headed to our own hut. For Thailands Padaung women, the choice is very narrow. Unless she wishes to risk suffocation the Most have come to Thailand to make money displaying themselves to gawking tourists. +++, Rebellion is brewing in the so-called human zoos where the long-necked women live as virtual prisoners. "We have been running culturally and environmentally friendly treks for 22 years and have never run treks to visit this tribal group as we would consider this exploitation as they have no rights. These were worn by various early cultures but are especially associated with the ancient Celts of the European Iron Age, where they were evidently a key indicator of wealth and status, mostly worn by men. [7] Occasionally one or two Padaung women were brought to a town where tourists were permitted, such as Kalaw or Taunggyi in Shan State, so that tourists could observe and photograph them. In January 2008, the UNHCR expressed reservations about tourists visiting the Kayan villages in Northern Thailand due to the provincial governments refusal to allow registered Kayan refugees to take up offers of resettlement in developed countries. The neck rings however, may very well become extinct within a generation or two as younger Padaung women are beginning to refuse to fit the rings around their childrens necks. They advertise exotic sightseeing for Thai and foreign tourists alike in hill-country villagesin reality refugee camps that the women are forbidden from leavingalong the Burma border. Many women have removed the rings for medical examinations. Attacks by the Burmese Army on valley dwellers suspected of aiding the rebels forced many into the mountains, and raids on mountain villages pushed fleeing tribespeople across the Salween River, closer and closer to the Thai border. Neck coils can weigh nearly 20 kilograms at times. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Nowadays, they're wearing it for cultural/tribal reasons. Refugee practitioners in Thailand were first accessible to tourists in 1984. The women shifted poses like extremely bored fashion models, and the tourists snapped away with their Nikons and Canons and zoomed in with their camcorders. "This is a must. One of the most striking of these groups is the Padaung. Read More The alternative, an accelerated process at around the age of twelve, when girls first begin to compete for the attention of boys, is painful. The Padaung women were returned to the Karenni base and the boat tours continued. Everyday the women wash their coils with steel wool, and a mixture of lime, straw and tamarind bark. Adultery among Padaung women has always been punished by the removal of the rings, a fate almost literally, worse than death. The first brass rings are put on a young Padaung girl's neck at about five years of age in an important rite of passage which - in the case of non-Christian Padaung - is supervised by a village shaman who casts chicken bones to determine an auspicious date. 'Giraffe Neck' Padaung Women Tour London And New York - Flashbak There are about 10,000 people in the tribe. In their most distinctive custom, beginning at about five years of age, many Padaung . This is an unusually cruel punishment as the cervical vertebrae has become deformed after years of wearing the rings, and the neck muscles have atrophied. The Ndebele in South Africa wear rings around their necks. At first glance, the Padaung appear to belong to a different continent than Asia, their green and purple headresses, white caftans and shining ornaments suggesting some African tribe or even the Plain Indians of old. Several hundred Padaung live along the Thai-Myanmar border. But her mother, Mateu, who wears a 10-pound coil of 24 rings around her own neck, told her to endure; girls like her represent the economic future of the Padaung tribe of long-necked women, known . Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. CPA Media - Archives - Beauty Secrets Of The Padaung Many foreigners dont like practice and describe the villages as human zoos, but they visit them anyway. When I asked how they had arrived at this village, they said a man named U Dee, whom they referred to as "the middleman," first began bringing Padaung to the spot about three years ago. These women however do not choke and die when they remove their neck rings. But Mamombee said she doesn't like to remove them except once every three years to clean herself. Usually the daughter-in-law will move in with her husband upon marriage and in that case, the price is higher than if the man moves in with his wife. The problems dont stop there, though. The rule of marriage is only those genetically related are allowed to marry. Business has fallen off at her souvenir stall and her family no longer has the payments that women receive for wearing the coils, a fraction of the profits made from selling entry tickets to tourists. We are denied education and the authorities will not let us go abroad, although some of us have been invited to leave for Finland and New Zealand. Without work papers or citizenship, the Kayan have little say over what happens to them. They will also cause the shoulders to slope forward and weaken the muscles in the neck. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. Copyright 2023 Solid Ventures, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Padaung | people | Britannica Contrary to what guides tell tourists, her head did not collapse on atrophied muscles; but mutiny by the most photographed woman in Nasoi Kayan Tayar village has provoked spectacular results. A Bad Last Impression: Looking Into The 5 Worst Series Finales Of All Time, Giant Clocks And Pickled Sharks (And Charity, Too): Heres What Billionaires Spend Their Money On. [2], In the late 1980s and early 1990s due to conflict with the military regime in Myanmar, many Kayan tribes fled to the Thai border area. Are the Burmese (Myanmar) females still wearing neck rings? Once in place, the neck spirals are rarely, if ever, removed. Thai authorities actually "negotiated" to keep them in Thailand, while repatriating other tribespeople to the Burma war zone. On the other hand, many of them appeared to prefer living in virtual confinement as long as they are paid and safe. In Thailand, the practice has gained popularity in recent years, because it draws tourists who bring revenue to the tribe and to the local businessmen who run the villages and collect an entry fee of 500 to 600 baht per person. In The Hardy Padaungs (1967) Khin Maung Nyunt, one of the first authors to use the term "Kayan", says that the Padaung prefer to be called Kayan. No one can force me to wear the coils, but my friends think they are pretty with the rings around their necks and they also get paid. In 2007, Lloyd wrote, two Kayan moved to a rival tourist attraction near Chiang Mai, where they were paid more than twice as well. The rings may appear cumbersome, but the Padaungs believe that beauty lies in a long neck, which is regarded as graceful as a swan's. When the news came out local business was outraged, the police were summoned and the Long Neck fugitives were brought back under arrest. They are still featured in Mae Hong Son Resort advertisements, on Chiangmai trekking tour posters, and on Thai postcards that claim "the longnecked hill tribe is a minority that lives in the north of Thailand's mountains." Fowl bone prognostication can be witnessed in the Kayan villages in Thailand's Mae Hong Son province during the annual festival, and during "cleansing ceremonies" that a family holds when it has encountered ill fortune. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). One suggests men put the rings on their women to deter slave traders. Even if no tourists came, I would still wear it." In the past, the choice of marriage partners was usually the responsibility of the parents; today, young people often select their own partner. "We're not allowed to take it off because of our tradition," said Malao, a 33-year-old who, like most Padaung women, has only one name. They also wear coils on their legs. They woman come out when visitors call on them. None of the Padaung I spoke to knew of any story or reason for wearing the rings. The major religious festival is the three-day Kay Htein Bo festival, which commemorates the belief that the creator god gave form to the world by planting a small post in the ground. In present times, the annual Kay Htein Bo festival is always accompanied by a reading of the chicken bones to predict the year ahead. Local businesses profit from the tourist traffic, and some Padaung women welcome the modest income. Padaung women bind their necks with heavy brass rings that alter the shape of the neck and shoulders. The women were as breathtaking as I imagined. The Kayan consists of the following groups: Kayan Lahwi (also called Padaung, [bd]), Kayan Ka Khaung (Gekho), Kayan Lahta, Kayan Ka Ngan. The first spiral, put on a girl at the age of five or so, is usually about four inches high; in approximately two years, another coil is added. Trekkers intruded on and disrupted tribal life, encouraged opium abuse, and harassed tribal women. It has also been suggested that the coils give the women resemblance to a dragon, an important figure in Kayan folklore. As Padaung custom dictates, she wears heavy brass rings on her neck, arms and legs. The Karenni base was easily accessible from the Thai side of the border by narrow, wooden motor boats. They did needlework and studiously ignored the fairgrounds who bought tickets to enter the enclosure and observe them. It depends whether these women are coerced, says National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Wade Davis. Around the age of twenty, up to twenty three rings are nestled around their necks. The Padaung's own opinions of the practice have been of little importance to the world outside their mountain home. It is the reason why Kayan women have earned the moniker " long-necked women." Kayan women barely feel the weight of the brass since the ring feels like part of the body after several years of wear. The trekking tours were often advertised with a lack of sensitivity ("See real primitive hilltribes in the Thai jungle") that extended to the conduct of the guides and tourists. One 12-year-old girl told the New York Times she started wearing the coils when she was six and had 16 around her neck that cost $160. The South Ndebele peoples of Africa also wear neck rings as part of their traditional dress and as a sign of wealth and status. In the 1930s, Sir George Scott wrote, "It is the get-up of the women that makes the Padaung the best-known of all the tribes. At the age of 5, girls in the Karen (or Kayan) and Padaung tribes of Myanmar are fitted with their first rings. In southeast Asia, historians have been able to date the practice of using neck rings all the way back to the 11th century. When tourists complained about the Padaung women's aloof attitude, the women were made to sing and play the guitar for the visitors. Her chin juts over the top ring of a thick coil which spirals around her throat and reaches down to her collarbones. The price we pay for presents under a tree. Download this stock image: Thailand: A Padaung (Long Neck Karen) woman after removing her neck rings for cleaning, village near Mae Hong Son. After removing the rings, women report discomfort that fades after about three days. Cultural Survival envisions a future that respects and honors Indigenous Peoples' inherent rights and dynamic cultures, deeply and richly interwoven in lands, languages, spiritual traditions, and artistic expression, rooted in self-determination and self-governance. The tourists rarely stayed overnight, the usual visit to the Padaung camp consisting of a photo session of fewer than 30 minutes. The Kayan have no written language. [3] Among the refugee camps set up there was a Long Neck section, which became a tourist site, self-sufficient on tourist revenue and not needing financial assistance.[4]. Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations, Geneva, Switzerland Hall & Company); New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Times of London, The Guardian, National Geographic, The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek, Reuters, AP, AFP, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic Monthly, The Economist, Global Viewpoint (Christian Science Monitor), Foreign Policy, Wikipedia, BBC, CNN, NBC News, Fox News and various books and other publications. The custom is dying out in traditional Pandaung villages in Myanmar, where people are so poor they prefer spend their hard earned money on rice rather than brass, but it is gaining new convert along the Thai border. Many women have removed the rings for medical examinations. Chances are you might be witnessing a multi-level marketing scam in action. Some families said they were paid about $45 a month, while others were given a sack of rice. Many cultures and periods have made neck rings, with both males and females wearing them at various times. [Source: Richard Lloyd Parry, The Times, April 8, 2008]. These days you often women not wearing their coils and looks as if their neck is no danger of suddenly collapsing. They cultivate rice in the mountains just south of the town of Loikaw. Girls start wearing their rings early. However, the exact opposite is true today, as the tradition is alive and well in Myanmar where the look is considered to be beautiful and elegant. Kayan people (Myanmar) - Wikipedia Most of them are animists, with belief systems similar to Karen animists. In fact, one of the main reasons why some tribes choose to begin the practice when girls are young is because their bones are more pliant, making the desired results easier to achieve and with less pain. The women said the rings were painful when they were young but don't hurt now at all, and they said there are no health problems associated with wearing them. Neck rings, or neck-rings, are any form of stiff jewellery worn as an ornament around the neck of an individual, as opposed to a loose necklace. "But I cannot." The spiral may reach to a foot in height and weigh 20 pounds; this gives the illusion of a stretched neck, but the actual effect is that of pushing down the collarbones and rib cage to distort the chest and slope the shoulders. Others entered the main Karenni refugee camp (which is not open to tourists) in September 2008 and they are now eligible for resettlement. Here are five indoor plants that you essentially cannot kill. Im glad when the tourist come because then we can make money.. Anthropologists have hypothesized that the rings protected women from becoming slaves, making them less attractive to other tribes. Mae Hong Son officials were not unaware of the Padaung women's worth as a tourist attraction. Some of the bamboo walls were stained blue where cloth had been hung to dry. On 17 July, The Nation, a Thai newspaper, carried a photograph of Mu Louma washing some dishes in front of a tent. The coils, which are typically made of brass, weigh around four-and-a-half pounds to start with, and then more coils are added over time. Thailand: A Padaung (Long Neck Karen) woman after removing her neck Many ideas regarding why the coils are worn have been suggested. It is usually only removed to be replaced by a new or longer coil. In late 2008, most of the young women who entered the refugee camp removed their rings. Chiangmai's more "deluxe" tour agencies began offering a "Special Tour to Burma," which included a boat ride on the Pai River to view the Padaung women at the Karenni base. The Padaung have no written language and are best known for its long-necked women. The Padaung are an ethnic group related to the Karen and Karenni, indigenous only to the Kayah State of Burma. Decades of warfare in Kayah State have displaced tribal populations. A Padaung legend explains that the rings were protection against tiger bites, a constant hazard in their homeland in the north of China. Then I saw the pictures of the long-necked tribes in Thailand and Burma in National Geographic and I became fascinated with them..
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