Even though the exact origins of neck stretching is unknown, historians have been able to date it back to 11th century Southeast Asia. An exact reason for the practice is still unknown. One of the most known beliefs is that villagers wore them to protect themselves against tiger attacks, which are more likely to be directed towards the neck. Another claim is that it served as a way to protect women from being kidnapped by rival tribes by giving them a less appealing look. Unlike this legend, the opposite stands today, as it is considered beautiful in Myanmar and other locations. In the Ndebele tribe of Africa, women wear brass and copper rings, not only around their necks, but around their legs and arms too. The rings are given to the women by their husbands and are a sign of faithfulness. At one point, the rings were only removed once they had died, but today they aren't always worn permanently. At only 5 years old, girls in the Karen/Kayan and Padaung tribes of Myanmar are given their first set of rings. These rings tend to way around 4 and a half pounds and more are added over time. Sometimes the rings are removed altogether so they can be replaced with thicker ones. Many women enjoy having their rings changed since it gives them the chance to see their progress. Although it is commonly called "neck stretching", it does not actually stretch the neck. The weight of the rings actually pushes down on the collarbones. The reason why some tribes start this at such an early age is because the bones are more flexible making the process easier and also resulting in less pain. There's more information I could post, but I'm getting tired of typing lol I'll cover more on this later. #modification #bodymodification #advancedbodymodification #extremebodymodification #culturalbodymodification #tribalbodymodification #art #bodyart https://www.instagram.com/p/BoPuqvmgGCu/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=18kdwkza98vdy