The Kayan are a sub-group of Red Karen (Karenni people), Tibeto-Burman ethnic minority of Myanmar (Burma).
Women of the Kayan tribes identify themselves by their forms of dress. Women of the Kayan Lahwi tribe are well known for wearing neck rings, brass coils that are placed around the neck, appearing to lengthen it.
Girls first start to wear rings when they are around 5 years old. Over the years, the coil is replaced by a longer one and more turns are added.
The weight of the brass pushes the collar bone down and compresses the rib cage.
The neck itself is not lengthened; the appearance of a stretched neck is created by the deformation of the clavicle.
Many ideas regarding why the coils are worn have been suggested. Anthropologists have hypothesized that the rings protected women from becoming slaves, making them less attractive to other tribes.
It has also been theorised that the coils originate from the desire to look more attractive by exaggerating s3xual dimorphism, as women have more slender necks than men.
It has also been suggested that the coils give the women a resemblance to a dragon, an important figure in Kayan folklore.
The coils were said to be to protect them from tiger bites, perhaps literally, but probably symbolically.
Kayan women, when asked, acknowledge these ideas and often say that their purpose for wearing the rings is cultural identity – one associated with beauty.
The coil, once on, is seldom removed, as the coiling and uncoiling is a lengthy procedure. It is usually only removed to be replaced by a new or longer coil.
The muscles covered by the coil become weakened. Many women have removed the rings for medical examinations.
Most women prefer to wear the rings once their clavicle has been lowered, as the area of the neck and collarbone often becomes bruised and discolored.
Additionally, the collar feels like an integral part of the body after ten or more years of continuous wear.
In 2006, some of the younger women in Mae Hong Son started to remove their rings, either to give them the opportunity to continue their education or in protest against the exploitation of their culture and the restrictions that came with it.
In late 2008, most of the young women who entered the refugee camp removed their rings.
One woman who had worn the rings for over 40 years removed them. After removing the rings, women report discomfort that fades after about three days.
The government of Myanmar began discouraging neck rings as it struggled to appear more modern to the developed world.
Consequently, many women in Myanmar began breaking the tradition, though a few older women and some of the younger girls in remote villages continued to wear rings.
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.
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