The Kayan tribe, also known as the “Padaung” people, is a minority ethnic group from Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand. One of the most striking and well-known customs of the Kayan people is the practice of wearing brass coils around the neck, wrists, and legs.
These coils, also known as “gaung baung,” are worn by Kayan women from a young age and are believed to be a symbol of beauty and status within the tribe.
The tradition of wearing the coils is said to have originated in the Kayan’s animist beliefs, where the coils were believed to protect the women from evil spirits and bring good luck.
However, the practice of wearing the coils has also been linked to the Kayan’s history of slavery and forced labor, as the coils were thought to make the women less desirable to slave traders and therefore less likely to be captured and sold.
The process of adding coils to the neck is a gradual one, starting at a young age and continuing throughout a woman’s life. The coils are made of brass and are added one at a time to the woman’s neck, with the weight of the coils eventually causing the collarbone to compress and the neck to appear elongated. The process is said to be painless and does not harm the woman’s health.
Despite the tradition’s deep roots in Kayan culture, the practice of wearing the coils has come under scrutiny in recent years, with some critics arguing that it is a form of cultural exploitation and that the women are being forced to participate in the tradition.
The Kayan people, however, argue that the tradition is an important part of their culture and identity and that they should have the right to continue practicing it.
The tradition of wearing brass coils around the neck is a unique and striking aspect of Kayan culture, one that has deep roots in the tribe’s animist beliefs and history.
While the practice has come under scrutiny in recent years, the Kayan people argue that it is an important part of their culture and identity and that they should have the right to continue practicing it….. See More
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