padaung tribe of myanmar
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Padaung Tribe of Myanmar
Geography of the Karen-Padaung and Padaung tribes
The Padaung Tribe is one of the most striking ethnic minorities in Burma (Myanmar),
especially in the Southern region. Also called "Long Necks" or referred to as "The
Giraffe Tribe," the Padaung are natives of Kayah state. They are amongst the eight
ethnic communities in the South-West area of Myanmar. The Padaung are a Mongolian
tribe that assimilated into the Karen group and consist of approximately 7,000
individuals. They are also amongst the smallest of the Karen tribes in Thailand, but are
the predominant tribe in Burma.
Near the Burmese border two villages of Padaung or Karen-Padaung exist. These
villages, Doi Mae Ho and Nam Piang Din, are located in the area of Mae Hong Sorn.
Although the Doi Mae Ho settlement is relatively large, only nine families live in the
village of Nam Piang Din, which is located in Phrae Province in North-Central Thailand.
There are also five families of the Karen-Padaung tribe living near Baan Thatonin in the
far North of Chiang Mai province.
The Karen tribe, also known as Kayah, is one of the largest hill tribe groups in South-
East Asia. Myanmars' Padaung prefer to be called Kayan people, as Padaung in the
Karenic branch of languages sounds similar to "toilet post" and can be considered quite
derogatory. Sub-groups of the Karen have only very recently begun to recognize each
other as belonging to the same group. There are however, no shared languages or
dialects amongst these sub-groups, making them unable to verbally communicate with
one another. None of these sub-groups have a collective term for all of the Karen sub-
groups.
Burma, or Myanmar, lays claim to being the ancestral home of the Karen, though some
now say that the rich oral history of the Karen may suggest China as their actual
ancestral home. At any rate, the traditions of the Padaung or Karen-Padaung are some
of the oldest of the peoples in this region of the world. The Padaung have long
fascinated hill-tribe trekking tourists, as they seldom enter the lowlands. Tourists are
attracted to the customs, traditions, and certainly appearance of the Padaung and have
encroached upon the tribe as a result, resulting in the slow death of their rich culture.
Padaung Tribe
The Padaung Tribe of Myanmar has rich and diverse ethnic minorities. This tribe is
often not seen in the lowlands but when they are, if at all, they tend to congregate
around Loikaw near the border with Thailand.
This tribe only consists of around 7,000 members; nonetheless they have created huge
speculation and an adverse amount of interest toward themselves due to the fascination
of their culture and ethnic tendencies.
Neck-stretching
Padaung women are often named the longneck women of Myanmar. The practice of
neck stretching is a strong belief of the Padaung women and this custom is an
expression of feminine beauty at its best.
The brass coils these women wear are fitted at the age of 5 and as the young girl will
grow, more large coils will be added. The more coils that a woman will wear, will judge
the respect they receive from other tribe members. Despite the worry of breaking the
neck, it is possible for the Padaung women of Myanmar to remove the brass coil rings if
they so wish.
The Padaung Tribe
These Mongolian people have an interesting lifestyle. Aside from the neck stretching
and rituals that follow which will lie on the horoscopic findings of the Village Shamans,
there are many other beliefs that are followed in an every day lifestyle.
River valleys are the destination of choice for this tribe and unlike many other tribes;
these tribe people very rarely leave their villages unless they have to. Houses in these
villages will usually stand in small, neat squares with the houses made of bamboo
(woven and split) with palm leaf roofs. The shades in front of their houses are occupied
with the Padaung people who consistently weave textiles, blankets and tunics on a daily
basis.
The Padaung men are seen less than the Padaung women. The men are usually
tending to crops in the nearby fields, assisting in the living and surviving of a very
secretive tribe that is rich in culture.
The Padaung custom of "neck stretching"
At first glance, the most noticeable custom of the Padaung is "neck stretching" or "neck
lengthening." A Padaung girl will traditionally be fitted with her first rings between the
ages of five to six years. As this is a custom expressing feminine beauty, Padaung men
are not adorned with the rings. The day on which a Padaung girl will receive her first
rings is carefully chosen based on horoscopes passed down from the village shaman.
Before the rings are fit, the young girl's neck is smeared with a salve and massaged for
several hours after which a priest fits small cushions under the first ring to prevent
soreness. The cushions are later removed and the process is repeated every two years
with the addition of one ring.
Neck lengthening can also be done by using a continuous brass coil that will give the
appearance of being comprised of individual rings. Some of these coils can weigh up to
22 kg and can lengthen the appearance of the neck by up to 30 cm.
Contrary to popular belief, neither individual brass rings nor brass coils actually stretch
or deform the neck. In fact, the neck is not altered at all, but gives the illusion of being
stretched as the collarbone and upper ribs are compressed. This is a result of the
weight of the brass rings or coils pushing down on the collarbone and upper ribs at such
an angle that the collarbone appears as if it is part of the neck itself. Although after
several years this can severely weaken the neck as the muscles have atrophied,
removal of the rings or coils does not pose any real danger to the wearer.
Not only do these rings express the Padaung woman's own concept of beauty, they also
are a mark of status. The status of the wearer is based on both the number of rings and
on their value and this symbol of status confers respect on the wearer's family. One
Padaung woman has been photographed wearing thirty-seven rings around her neck, a
number considered to be ideal.
There are several theories as to why the women wear these rings aside from beauty
and social status. One theory suggests that the rings were first placed around the necks
of Padaung women in an attempt to make them less desirable to slave traders. A similar
theory says the rings were worm to repel any potential attention to Padaung women by
non-Padaung men. There is a legend amongst the Padaung that suggests that the
wearing of the rings will protect the wearer from being bit by a tiger, a very real and
constant threat in the Padaung's homeland. One more theory states that wearing the
brass rings will help a Padaung woman attract a husband. Adultery amongst the
Padaung is punishable by removal of these rings, which forces the woman to spend the
rest of her life lying down since the muscles of the neck have atrophied over the years
due to a lack of support. Needless to say, adultery and divorce rates are extremely low
amongst the Padaung.
A tribal legend says that the tradition of wearing the brass rings about the neck began
as a tribute to the mythological progenitor of the tribe which was believed to have been
a beautiful female dragon. The Padaung ritual of "neck stretching" is uniquely their own
as none of the other Karen sub-groups have ever practiced it.
Lesser known customs of the Padaung and Karen sub-groups
Although the wearing of brass rings is the most recognizable physical trait of the
Padaung, the tribe has many other, often overlooked customs. Padaung women wear
bracelets of silver and brass on their arms and legs, a tradition that is likely to remain
intact. These bracelets are worn on the legs from the ankle to the knee, and on the
arms from the wrist to the elbow.
The Karen-Padaung in Phrae live in Wangshin District in Maesin Village, Kangjai
Village, and Maepong Village where the piercing of ears has earned them the nickname
"Big Eared Tribe." The ears of married women are pierced after being wed and a one to
four cm piece of elephant tusk is inserted into the opening. As the pieces of tusk
become larger and heavier, their weight gradually pulls down on the earlobe and the ear
continues to get longer and larger. These ear pieces are worn by the Karen-Padaung
for life.
Aside from physical adornment, the Karen sub-groups and Karen-Padaung are also
masters in the art of elephant training. The making of music also plays an important role
in everyday Karen life and women can be seen playing a guitar in almost every village.
Marriage, along with the rituals and customs surrounding it, plays an extremely
important role in the lives of all Karen, including of course, the Padaung. Unwed Karen
women and girls wear white dresses or robes indicating their status as being unwed,
while married women wear dresses of red and black and have a few magical words
written on the backs of their hands in spiritual languages to ensure their happiness in
life. Karen women make their own wedding clothes as well as those of their fiance.
Since Karen society is matrilineal and incest is enforced mostly along the maternal lines
of the prospective couples' ancestry, successive marriages within matrilineage are
strongly discouraged. The role that marriage plays amongst the Karen is of such
importance that when an unmarried woman dies, she is buried or cremated in the same
clothing a married woman would have worn. The Karen believe that this will thwart off
malevolent spirits that may try to prevent the deceased woman from entering into her
afterlife.
The Karen-Padaung as a threatened culture
The traditions of the Padaung unfortunately have begun to slowly die as the tribe is
increasingly forced into having contact with the modern world. Many women have
already fled from Myanmar's hidden war, becoming refugees in Thailand. Many more
continue to flee or are forced into resettlement. Karen rebels continue fighting the
Burmese government in an attempt to gain independence. This hidden war has not only
resulted in many casualties on both sides, but has given way to refugee camps on the
Myanmar border in Northern Thailand. The women living in these camps make and sell
textiles and crafts to passing travelers and tourists drawn to the mystique of the
Padaung. The Padaung have only been migrating or fleeing into Thailand in the last 10
years, while other Karen groups settled there approximately one hundred fifty years
ago. The Padaung have become a very popular attraction for tourists, exploited to such
a degree as to liken village tourism to visiting a human zoo. So disgusted and outraged
by this are some tour operators in Thailand that they refuse to bring tourists into the
villages. A number of tourists are also boycotting tour operators that bring visitors into
Padaung villages.
The Karen living in Myanmar continue to suffer oppression and numerous human rights
violations including being incarcerated, denial of political representation, denial of
citizenship status rights, and being forced not only into resettlement but also into labor.
Although some say that the Karen and Karen-Padaung have better lives in Thailand
than they had in Myanmar, their current status is yet very shaky and unsure,
endangering tribal customs and rituals that are already slowly dying out.
Midterm Requirement
in
Intercultural/ International
Communication
Lira Mariz Orabe
BBrC 3-4
Prof. Edna Bernabe
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