Ethnic Tribes, Padaung
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Padaung
The Padaung is a group of the Kayin people, an ethnic minority of Myanmar.
The coils are first applied when the girls are about five years old, and the coil is replaced with longer coils as the weight of the brass pushes down the collar bone and compresses the rib cage. This results in the striking appearance of a very long neck.
There are several mythical ideas, perhaps formed by visiting anthropologists. Some think the coils protect from tiger bites, while some think the coils made the women unattractive to neighbouring tribes, and so protected them against slave trade.
The origin of the tradition is not known. Padaung women, when asked, usually know of these myths, but their own reason for wearing the coils, is that it is a tribal identity, one associated with beauty, and because their mothers wore the rings.
The rings, once on, are seldom removed, as it is a somewhat lengthy procedure. Contrary to myth, the women do not suffocate when the rings are removed. It was believed that women cheating on their husbands could have the rings removed as punishment, and thus had to lie down the rest of her life, to avoid the long neck breaking, but this is nonsense.
The practice has seen a surge in recent years because the custom draws tourists who buy their handicrafts.There are around 7,000 members of the Padaung tribe.
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