Saturday, 12th May 2007
Giraffe Women
by Mariola
Padaung ladies, Bima. These women from the country of Myanmar begin to wear neck rings when they are children. Gradually with age the number of "brass coils" worn increases to elongate the neck.
Equipment: Canon Digital IXUS 750
Mariola
Website: Flickr profile
Giraffe Women by Mariola was photo of the day on Saturday, 12th May 2007. It is tagged Myanmar, People. You can leave a comment below.
20 Comments
Paul Indigo
Fascinating image. I like the expressions you captured and thank you for the informative note too.
jabi
Interesting!
there is also a tribe in Kenya (East Africa) who have the same customs..
who would guess that people so far apart (continent-wise) would be so similar?
poster boy
I guess the question is ‘why?’
Great photo though with nice exposure.
Photo Buffet
Fascinating photo. I’m interested in hearing more about this custom. Why is it important for them to have elongated necks, anyway?
Cass
Interesting photo and custom.
EST
It seems the origins of the custom got lost – I found this on the internet:
‘Various origins of the custom are cited, ranging from protection against tiger attacks to symbols of wealth and status. One myth tells of a beautiful dragon with a long neck that was impregnated by the wind to produce the first Padaung people.’
Well, probably it has been just a concept of beauty – we paint our fingernails red, pierce our ears and noses…
Anyway – fascinating photo!
Ryan Chappell
The Karen tribe of Myanmar (in which some of the women choose to wrap coils around their neck to give them an elongated appearance) have a very interesting and recently very violent and sad history. Many have been forced from their homes by the ruling government in Myanmar and there has been much fighting between the Karen and the Myanmar government. There are many stories around about a genocide taking place at this very moment in Myanmar and more refugees flee the government into Thailand every day. An estimated 200,000 people have already left their homes to flee into poorly maintained refugee camps in northern Thailand. With little opportunity to support themselves in the Thai economy some turn to tourism to bring a little extra money, putting themselves on display for a fee. Often these displays are poor representations of the charismatic and wonderful traditional agricultural lifestyle that the Karen people support themselves through.
A great photo and a great way to raise some awareness of the plight of the Karen people. More information can be found at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_people
http://www.karenhilltribes.org.uk/
Eli Shams
Most impressiove image, superbe composition.
jay
I’m guessing if they take the rings off, their neck muscles will be too weak to support their heads.
Dennis
Well crafted travel portraits. Where in Myanmar did you take these shots? I have seen ladies from the same “tribe” across the border in Thailand. I will be visiting Myanmar in January – hopefully. The political situation is a bit scary.
Anurag
You are absolutely right Jay. Their neck becomes too weak to support their head.
And, Its very very uncomfortable. So much trouble – Just for the sake of beauty!!?
su
Its the menfolk that this is done for, the women are not valued without the rings. Nice colourful reminder of another world.
solov
Very unique photo opportunity! But when I think of young girls having to undergo this torture, it makes me want to cry.
To get a little feel for Myanmar live, read the novel, “Saving Fish from Drowning,” by Amy Tan. Most of the story takes place in Myanmar.
Ashley
I remember watching a documentary on TV about this (I think it was Taboo). The neck isn’t actually elongated, the rings actually push the collarbone and ribs downwards and it creates the appearance of a long neck. Every few years the girls take it off to get better fitted ones, and they finally get to see their necks- on the show the girl just kept staring at her neck and rubbing it, interesting if you think about it (generally we don’t look at our neck with such fascination). The women actually bend the metal around their necks, and sometimes the girls get infections from rusty metal. But from what I could tell on the show, the girl who had it removed had no troubles keeping her head balanced, I’m sure her muscles were a bit weak, but she seemed to be able to balance it okay.
Interesting shot, I like the colours and expressions. They look very elegant. (:
Peter
The woman to right are one female King, today she have a peace by the military dictatorship. I her clan only the royal family. They use neck spirals for at age of 13 years old. It is voluntary but the girls like to show their noble birth.
The refugees are from a democratic clan. One girl had used neck spirals for at age of two years old, but. In a democraty all girls can choose neck spirals or not if the parents have money. The military dictatorship had no choose, they do not make peace by a democraty.
VALERIE
girls who do this crazy giraff thing r crazy they look kind of wierd to me and putting rings around ur neck is kind of stupid think it pretty well ur from planet pluto or mars maybe jupiter cus the people that do that gett to do crazy and stupid stuff everyday
Renee
very interesting shot, thanks for sharing.
Rajib Singha
Aptly shows the diversity of our planet.
Su
Fascinating insight.
renee
Great shot.