Padaung women look so exotic, yet so odd and out of place, especially in our day-and-age. I've heard different stories as to why Padaung women started to wear neckrings, some of which are:

1. To protect them from getting eaten by tigers.
2. They wear them as a symbol of beauty.
3. To avoid becoming slaves.

Some people have begun to question whether this odd custom is really gender oppression or not. Some even believe that this custom has become a form of exploitation in the name of tourism. In Thailand, many young Padaung girls and women are beginning to remove their neckrings as they start to venture into urban/city society for work and higher education. Contrary to popular belief, the rings do no elongate the neck-- rather it only gives the appearance of such. What the rings actually does is push down on the collarbone giving the trademark long-neck appearance and compresses the face.



Circus posters promoting "side-show" of Padaung women:







Satirical poster of politics of the day:

MANCHU-HAN CHINESE BIND FEET
- a sign of feminine and beauty.

You old world monsters!






















jk LOL

TATOO FACE - INDIGENOUS AMERICA/ASIA


AMAZONIAN


AMAZONIAN


ATAYAL WOMAN - TAIWAN


INUIT/ESKIMO FACE TATTOO.

Ahahahahahah... giraffe women.. lmao... I didn't notice that. lmao... ahahahha..

I think Padaung People are a subgroup of Karen or Lahu.. I totally forgot.

I believe they are a subgroup of the Karen. Some sources that I have read states that they migrated from Mongolia about some 2000 years ago or so.

Brazilian

Okay, that is just gross. The previous pictures of modifications are cultural and traditional norms based on the individuals ethnic background-- what the "Brazilian" chick has, is not.

That is a misunderstanding. Ornaments protect against evil spirit. And a tiger who eat women is a reborn spirit of a bad person.

or womanliness.

An urban legend.

the Padaung is a part of Karen, who have female line, (matrilineality), and the most of Padaung never used neck-coils. In some clan only the noblewomen use neck-coils in the time from the first menstruation to the wedding (a short time) or later, it is voluntary. Most of the women by neck-coils are from one matriarchy clan. This clan is extreme feminine and cultivate charity. Three times every days they polish coils and bathe together. One single girl had get a neck-coils in an age of two, many in an age of four.
http://www.aggieasianarts.com/exhibition/H...ung%20Girls.JPG

They have used neck-coils in thousand years. Before all touris
http://www.flickr.com/groups/845055@N20/pool/