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It's a form of body modification -

Humans have been doing body modifications for millennia, including tattoos, piercings, foot binding, and skull flattening. Neck elongation is also a form of body modification.

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It's a form of body modification -

The practice is estimated to go back all the way to the 11th century in Southeast Asia, but it could be much older.

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Roots -

Neck rings can be found in both Asia and Africa. The roots of the practice, however, remain unclear. But historians do have some clues as to why it started.

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Roots -

Some historians theorize that neck elongation rings are worn as a status symbol in Southeast Asian Padaung tribes. The Padaung are a subgroup of the Kayan people, who now live between Myanmar and Northwest Thailand.

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Origins -

One theory is that women started to stretch their necks in an effort to become less attractive to both slave traders and to signal men from other tribes that they were Padaung women.

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Origins -

There is also a tribal myth that says that the neck rings were used as protection against tiger bites.

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Origins -

Another theory rooted in folklore is that Padaung women are descendants of the mythological Mother Dragon and wear the rings to represent her.

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Origins -

The most plausible explanation, however, has to do with its association with beauty and wealth. A woman with an elongated neck is considered more attractive in these tribes.

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When do women start elongating their necks? -

In the Padung tribe, girls start wearing neck rings as young as age five.

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How do they do it? -

These young girls get a brass coil collar weighing about 4.5 pounds (2 kg) placed around their necks.

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Adding more rings -

As years go by, rings are added to their necks. Previous coils are often removed and replaced with longer ones as the girls grow older.

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Special occasion -

This change of coils is a special moment in a girl’s life, as it's the only time they can actually see their naked necks.

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Full set -

A full set of brass coils often consists of up to 25 coils. We're talking about approximately 22 pounds (10 kg) around the neck.

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The neck doesn’t stretch -

Despite the name, one's neck doesn’t actually get elongated. The weight of the coils do not stretch the neck. Instead, they make the collar bones collapse, and, consequently, the upper ribs are also pressed downwards.

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It changes the structure of the body -

The vocal cords are also affected by this body modification. It’s not uncommon for women who wear them to have deeper voices.

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Optical illusion -

In truth, this body modification lowers the shoulders, rather than elongates the neck.

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Lifestyle changes -

Wearing neck rings requires some lifestyle changes. For instance, women who wear them are unable to bend their heads backwards, and as such they need to use straws to drink.

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It can be painful -

While the body adapts to the modification, chaffing and bruising around the neck is not unusual.

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Removal can have consequences -

When women remove the coils (for instance, to replace them), the neck muscles will likely be weakened and standing straight might prove difficult.

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Removal can have consequences -

Discoloration, scarring, and even mold has been found in women’s necks following the removal of rings.

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The rings can be removed as a form of punishment -

Adultery, for instance, is punished by removal of the rings. This usually renders a woman unable to stand due to weakened neck muscles.

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Persecuted -

The Padaung’s original home, Burma (present-day Myanmar) was subject to a military coup in 1962. The new regime introduced laws to modernize the nation, and eradicating “primitive” tribal practices was one of their goals.

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Persecuted -

As a result, they persecuted the Padaung because of their ancient customs. The tribe fled to Thailand, where they still live in refugee camps to this day, which have since become tourist attractions of their own.

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Exploitation -

“Giraffe women” are the main tourist attraction in the Mae Hong Son province of Thailand. They are, however, refugees, and the women get only a small portion of the tourism income.

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The Ndebele -

The Padaung aren't the only ones to elongate their necks. Ndebele women in southern Africa also wear neck rings.

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The Ndebele -

Unlike the Padaung though, the rings worn by the Ndebele symbolize a woman's faithfulness to her husband.

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The Ndebele -

In addition to their necks, Ndebele women also wear copper and brass rings around other parts of the body, including arms and legs. The rings (called idzila) are removed when the husband dies.

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The Ndebele -

The rings are also a symbol of status for the tribe. Often, the wealthier the husband, the more rings a woman has.

Sources: (History Daily) (Ranker) (The Peoples of the World Foundation) (Marie Claire) (Siyabona Africa) 

See also: Bizarre status symbols through history

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