Download - Long Neck Women
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LONG NECK WOMEN
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The Kayan women of eastern Burma wear brass rings around their necks to make them appear longer.
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They can start wearing the rings from the age of five and tend to add more rings as they get older.
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The rings do not actually stretch the women's necks - the weight pushes down their collarbones and compresses their rib cages making their necks appear longer.
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The women can remove the rings but they tend not to as it can be uncomfortable and the skin underneath tends to be discoloured.
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The rings are made of long pieces of brass that are wrapped around the neck to form coils.
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Many of the women say that if they remove the rings they feel naked and vulnerable.
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It is not known why the women started wearing the rings but there are many theories.
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Some people believe women originally wore the rings to protect themselves from tiger bites - other people think they were designed to make them unattractive so they were less likely to be taken into slavery.
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Now, most of the women wear the rings because they are seen as beautiful and to preserve the tradition.
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Some women wear the rings because they attract tourists and tourists bring vital revenue to the community.
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The rings are wound around the women's necks and this can take several hours as the brass is very tough.
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Surprisingly, the rings do not significantly restrict the women's movement.
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A full set of the neck rings can weigh up to 10 kilos but few women wear these any longer.