Long Neck Karen Tribe from Asia

Some of the most interesting and unique tribes of the world are the tribes of Northern Thailand. Out of these tribes there are no people more unique than the Long Neck Karens. As the name suggests these women are well known for their long necks and hence are also known as Giraffe Women. Padaung Karen is another name these tribal people are known by.

The Long Neck Karens are possibly the smallest sub group of the Karen tribe, native from the Kaya state of Burma. Due to the military rule in Burma, a large number of tribal people have fled to neighbouring Thailand for refuge. Long Neck Karen villages can be found in areas of Northern Thailand such as Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son. It is believed that the population of Long Necks is around 40,000.

So, you are wondering how their necks get so long. From a young age of around 5 to 6 years old, rings are put around the girls necks. Each year, a new ring is added typically until the women become 25 years old or get married. The rings are formed by skilfully bending solid brass rods to shape around the neck. The weight of these rings pushes down on the collar bone, shoulders and ribs resulting in a long neck.

The rings today are made out of solid brass, although it is believed that when the tradition began they used to be gold. A typical set of rings weights around 10 pounds.

It is claimed that these long rings protect the women from tiger bites. Some commentators state that the rings are only worn by women born on a Wednesday. None of these are found to be true.

More realistically, it is believed that the rings are worn to simply show their beauty and status in society. Some do believe this is used as a unique way to identify the Long Neck Karen women from those of other tribes to avoid cross tribal marriages. It is believed that the tradition of wearing rings is over one thousand years old.

Today, most of the Long Neck Karen villages are created by entrepreneurs as a method of getting tourists to visit this interesting tribe. Most of the entrance fees are kept by the entrepreneurs, and the Long Necks are allowed to sell merchandise to the visiting tourists to make a living. It is also typical not to find any Karen men readily visible in such villages. Do you think the Long Neck Karen's are exposed creating a Human Zoo. Why not vote below.

Traditionally Karens are farmers and would plant and cultivate rice. Some would also keep animal farms. However, this tradition was lost as they migrated to Thailand from Burma.

Less and less women from the Long Neck tribe these days wear the neck rings as the Thai government authorities try to integrate the people into society. Schooling for children from the tribal villages is one such step.

However, the large amount of tourists that visit the Long Necks for their neck rings makes it a big and profitable industry. This is likely to ensure the tradition continues, but you cannot help but worry that the Long Neck Karens are somewhat exposed to money making schemes.

If you interested in Thailand, Thai Cuisine and the tribes of Northern Thailand including the Long Neck Karens, below items may interest you.

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This article is written by Rus Leelaratne. You can read more articles from Rus or email your thoughts at http://rus-leelaratne.hubpages.com/ Please also feel free to leave a comment for me below.