Among the other refugees in the makeshift camp are the two padaung women with the brass-spiraled necks. Young Women in Myanmar Turn Away from Traditional Neck Rings - VOA +++, After a dinner of chicken curry, raw pork and a jungle delicacy identified as minced mole, I asked our hostess if she felt forced to wear the costume because of visiting foreigners. Because long necked women can't lean their head's back, they drink from straws. The chief of the village, a 52-year-old named Nanta Asung, told me that Thaijun was the only woman in the village who did not wear traditional dress and that her choice was unacceptable. According to Kayan tradition the Kayan settled in the Demawso area of Karenni State (Kayah State) in 739 AD. I Met the Padaung Women Whose Necks are Long at Lake Inle in Myanmar When the annual Mae Hong Son Winter Fair was to be held, they demanded that the Karennis bring the women to be exhibited. The rings are given to the women by their husbands and worn as a sign of faithfulness, and were once removed only after the women diedtoday, however, the women dont tend to wear them permanently. There were no men in sight and only a handful of tourists during my two-hour visit. [12] The coil, once on, is seldom removed, as the coiling and uncoiling is a lengthy procedure. Due to the duration of their wear, the neck must be propped up with a brace until the muscles can recover their strength. Sign up today to stay informed about the latest news, Cultural Survival program updates, events and MORE 2022 Cultural Survival. Metal rings are also worn on different parts of the body, not just the neck. The coil weakens the neck muscles and often bruise and discolor the collarbone. PADAUNG LONG NECK WOMEN | Facts and Details Although the Karennis retook the headquarters camp, some of the civilians remained in the refugee village on the Thai side, including the Padaung women. The Padaung's own opinions of the practice have been of little importance to the world outside their mountain home. It is hot and uncomfortable," she said. They also use dreams to make predictions. Most have come to Thailand to make money displaying themselves to gawking tourists. Not only are the coils not entirely comfortable to wear, but they can also lead to permanent muscle weakness in the head when worn for long periodsits the coils that hold up the head, so the neck muscles dont get used and become weak. [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]. The Padaung tribe is a subgroup of the larger Kayah tribe, which in turn is a subgroup of the Karenni which in turn is a subgroup of the Karen. Tradition vs. exploitation in Thailand | The Seattle Times Padaung women wear a short, dark-blue skirt edged with red with a loose white tunic also trimmed with red and a short blue jacket A turban-like headscarf is draped around their head. The Karenni rebels' introductory lecture tried to give the affair a political overtone, but when the boat tourists came ashore at the Padaung camp there was no pretense of "cultural exchange" or learning experience. In the village I visited they were tall and fulsome indicating a certain passage of time. Huai Seau Tao is a commercial village opened in 1995. Many of the indigenous groups in Thailand were essentially composed of refugees from Burma who had settled on the Thai side of the border in the years following World War II. On the other hand, many of them appeared to prefer living in virtual confinement as long as they are paid and safe. 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. "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. Padaung, the Long-Neck Women - Figments of a DuTchess Unless she wishes to risk suffocation the unfortunate wife must pay for the infidelity by spending the rest of her life lying down or try to find some other artificial support for her neck. Everyones favorite tragic love story is truer than any of us ever could have thought. A must!" Padaung tribe: The female giraffes or women of long neck The result was generally a disquieting encounter between embarrassed tourists and sullen Padaungs. Refugee practitioners in Thailand were first accessible to tourists in 1984. See Separate Articles Corrections? Adultery among Padaung women has always been punished by the removal of the rings, a fate almost literally, worse than death. "If I take it off for a long time, it is uncomfortable. The Karenni rebels refused this time, fearing that the Padaung women would disappear forever if they were sent as far away as Chiangmai. The custom has been maintained as a symbol of wealth and status, which in turn enhances marriageability, and as an assertion of a woman's identity and beauty. "Disgraceful stuff!" After removing the rings, women report discomfort that fades after about three days. After politely refusing, I asked her why she did not wear the costume. Land Acknowledgement As a result, the Burmese troops have been able to occupy the Karenni base instead of the usual burn-and-retreat strategy. Billboards showing the womens necks are on roadsides all over the north. The discoloration is more persistent. Kayan people (Myanmar) - Wikipedia The women, Mu Louma, Mu Thoo, and Mon Nee, were said to have traveled so far from their original villages under pressure from Moli. When the rings push down enough, they can actually cause the position of the rib cage to shift, as welltypically, wearing the rings will move the rib cage and the collarbones approximately 45 degrees below where they normally sit in the body. Many women have removed the rings for medical examinations. The women told the local Karenni villagers that they would not continue the neck spiraling custom with their daughters - possibly influenced by Christian Karennis' opposition to the practice. "This is our culture. The belief that only girls born under a full moon on Wednesday can wear them also seems to be a myth. 'Giraffe Neck' Padaung Women Tour London And New York - Flashbak Local businesses profit from the tourist traffic, and some Padaung women welcome the modest income. Although the Padaung, a Mongolian tribe who have been assimilated into the Karen group, only number about 7,000 they have attracted a great deal of interest because of their practice of neck-stretching. The Ndebele in South Africa wear rings around their necks. "Why do we wear the rings?" [9] The coils might be meant to protect from tiger bites, perhaps literally, but probably symbolically.[10]. How they will keep this dignity and composure in the face of encroaching tourism is a problem shared by all the minority tribes of this region. The cushions were removed later on. These severe decorations express the Padaung womens own concept of beauty and social ranking but there are other theories concerning the origins ofthese rings. Naheng said she even sleeps in them and only briefly takes off the rings in the shower. It is believed that if these rules are violated, misfortune falls upon all their relatives. Burma/Myanmar-Padaung - Metal Rings On Female Stretched Necks - WUNRN Removing the coils does not cause a woman's neck to collapse, although the muscles weaken. Dr. John Keshishian, an American doctor, wondered what was happening anatomically to elongate the women's neck. Some people call them "Karen long neck village Chiang Mai". 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. Their daughters, however, have grown up to question the humiliation of their tribe. Parents of girls are often very happy and men like to marry long-necked women because of the money they will bring in. In spite of the inaccessibility, photographs and paintings of Padaung women continue to be used by the Burmese government tourist agency in its advertising brochures and posters, and their image has been popular on Burmese crafts made for tourists. Most tourist s see the long-necked women in Sompron village (about three miles south of the center of town), where ten long-necked women and girls live in small huts set up for them by a travel agency. Rather the chins of the women are pushed up and their collarbones are pushed downwards by the weight of the coils, causing the shoulders to slope. The Giraffe Women of the Kayan Tribes- Freaky photos capture the They pay 250 baht (about 4) each; Mr Surachai admits to taking up to 150,000 baht a month (2,400) from the entrance fee. Mae Hong Son officials were not unaware of the Padaung women's worth as a tourist attraction. It didn't look like a village at all. The chairman of the Mae Hong Son chamber of commerce told the New York Times, Long-necked Paduang are the star attraction to draw tourist to our province. The tourists rarely stayed overnight, the usual visit to the Padaung camp consisting of a photo session of fewer than 30 minutes. One of the treasures of any country is its people. Here's how to spot these scams and also how to avoid them. This special identity, paid for in some initial pain and considerable discomfort, has not been found to create health problems. The neck itself is not lengthened; the appearance of a stretched neck is created by the deformation of the clavicle. The process would continue with successive ring being added every two years. A Padaung legend explains that the rings were protection against tiger bites, a constant hazard in their homeland in the north of China. It was just a tradition, they said. The weight and pressure of the leg spirals can make walking slow and stiff, and the Padaung women have to contend with the challenges of steep mountain rice fields and ladders leading to their stilt-supported houses. The other type is one or more spiral metal coils of many turns, often worn only by married women. But with them we can live in Thailand because they want us to stay this way.Our lives are better here. 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. [8] A Padaung woman is known to wear thirty seven brass rings around her neck! We were ushered into a 50-square-yard collection of shacks where two dozen Padaung women sat and sewed or tried to sell their wares. Visiting long-necked Padaung: Tradition or exploitation?
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