Neck Rings

Wondering what neck rings are? They are formed with one or more spiral metal coils of many turns worn as an ornament around the neck of an individual. In a few African and Asian cultures neck rings are worn to create the appearance that the neck has been stretched.

A Kayan girl showing here beauty

  The Kayan(Burma) is an indigenous tribe in Myanmar/Asian who practice the art of the neck ring. They considered a long neck as beautiful. It also showed of the families valuable metal rings, indicating wealth. A women wore up to twenty pounds of rings on her neck. At the age of two and in some other cases five, girls are introduced to their first neck ring. As the grow older rings are added. This will give them an elongated neck and will attract husbands.

Kayan women

  In Africa the neck ring culture is found amongst the Ndebele tribe. The reason is the same, it gives an appearance of stretching the neck and some form of beauty. They used copper rings as well. In other African cultures, they used beads. The amount of beads worn is a measure of wealth and social status. It was also thought to give one strong ritual power in addition to enhancing the beauty of a woman.

Beads showing wealth, social status and beauty

Neck stretching is one of the different body sculptural practices associated with different cultures. Unlike others, necking stretching is reversible and once the neck rings are removed the neck and body returns to its normal form.

I am already feeling so much pain in my neck. My take on this is, I am not interested in having a long neck. No thanks. SERIOUSLY