The mystery of rings around the neck of Padaung women of Burma
You might know that some Burmese women wear large brass rings across their necks, which are believed to elongate one’s neck. However, the roots of the initial forms of this practice have not been traced, and nobody knows for sure what was the intention behind encasing one’s throat in solid brass rings from an age as early as five years old.
These rings don’t elongate one’s neck significantly. However, they create an illusion of an unnaturally long neck by repressing the shoulders and compressing the ribcage of the women, therefore, making their necks appear eerily elongated. It is said that tribal women might have practiced it to make them less attractive to slavers back in Burma. Whatever the reason, this weird beauty trend deserves to be highlighted in this collection of strange customs.