Padaungs; One of the sub-communities of the Red Karen Tribe living in Myanmar and Thailand in Southeast Asia. This community, which is socioculturally backward, has a strange perception of beauty. According to the society; A woman’s beauty measure is equivalent to her neck size. This extraordinary perception of beauty is followed with interest by the outside world. Every year, there is an influx of tourists to the region, photographers take thousands of shots.
The word Padaung means long neck in the Shan language, the local language of the region. As you can understand; they are sensitive enough to call their community long neck. In some sources, Padaung Women are also mentioned as “Giraffe Girls”, and it is not possible to say that they are wrong in this description.
How do Padaung Women’s necks get longer?
A Padaung Woman starts wearing a ring around her neck from the age of five. The average number of rings that he will carry for the rest of his life is 20 rings. By wearing these 20 rings, they carry a total of 12 kilos on their shoulders. This 12-pound weight exerts force over time, slumping the shoulders. So what we actually see is not an elongated neck, but slumped shoulders. The record of the woman wearing the most rings to date is 37 rings. The longest measured neck is 42 centimeters. Most often these rings are made of brass alloy. These accessories, which are not very suitable for daily life (!), also lead to undesirable results.
So why do they endure this ordeal?
There are multiple stories and reasons behind the Padaung Women’s notoriety. The most well-known of these reasons; It is the perception of beauty in Padaung Society. If a woman wants to be beautiful; It has to be long neck. Another reason; The importance of dragons in Padaung belief culture. When women keep their necks long, they think they look like dragons, which is a source of pride for their faith.
It is also told that women defended themselves in this way from wild animal attacks. Finally; In ancient times, during the slave trade, Padaung Women used to stretch their necks deliberately. The wealthy who came to the slave market were frightened and disliked by these strange-looking women. So Padaung Women once stretched their necks to avoid being slaves. It is also speculated in popular culture that the Padaung Women now bow their heads to maintain tourist interest in the region. As a matter of fact, the region earns a considerable amount from tourism.
But have you guys ever seen Padaung Women before? Do you think this is an ordeal for the sake of beauty? If you knew you would be so beautiful; Would you live for years with dozens of rings around your neck and a 12-pound weight?
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