Women of the tribe have worn ornamental brass rings for centuries. Although the exact reasons have been lost in the myths of time, the end result is world famous. Like many tribes in Africa, they endeavor to stretch their necks, slowly, a ring at a time.






Look at the long neck women of the Padaung or Kareni tribe of Myanmar (Burma). They extend their necks by fitting copper coils around them and consider it a sign of beauty. In the end, their necks become extremely long (to almost 40 cm) and, at the same time, very weak and they cannot support their heads without the coils.

They will move around the village slowly. The women only remove the rings on their wedding night. Then, a long and elaborate process of neck washing ensues. Otherwise, the rings must remain in place, because the women's muscles can no longer support the neck alone.
E.G. Hodske