WHY KAYAN TRIBE WEAR NECK RINGS?

THE KAYAN TRIBE

Women are supposed to be delicate and tender, but Kayan women are opposed to this notion. It is astonishing that these Kayan women wear heavy bronze rings on their delicate necks whose number increases with age. This process starts from when the child is five years old and as her age increases the weight and size of the rings also increases.

What is reason behind wearing neck rings?

Although none of the Kayan tribesmen has been able to give a solid explanation for the adoption of this age-old tradition, some reasons have been given for its use and continued existence.

While some have stated that the brass wire is a form of protection of women from abduction of women by rival tribes, others have explained that it is to deter them from tiger attacks aimed at the neck.

Kayan women are called giraffe women because of their long necks. These features remain a spectacle for the tourists.

This tradition has been characteristic of the women of Kayan caste since ancient times. The main purpose of adopting this practice is to increase the length of the neck of women so that Kayan can make women appear more beautiful and attractive. Some say that the practice was never intended to make women look beautiful. Rather, the reason for adopting this practice was to make women look ugly and unattractive to save them from slavery.

Kayan Tribe Neck Rings Removed

Kayan women have now started accepting this custom as their identity which is related to their beauty. These rings emphasize that Kayan women can only marry men of their community. Once these bronze rings are worn, they cannot be taken off. Although she can take off these rings if there is a sudden need, but now these heavy rings, which weigh up to five kilos, have become an essential part of her body.

Kayan women also wear these rings on their wrists and joints, but it has never been able to attract tourists as much as these rings around the neck do. People come from far and wide to see the Kayan community which has become a very important source of revenue