The Long-Neck Tradition That Has Nothing to Do with Giraffes

The Long-Neck Tradition That Has Nothing to Do With Giraffes

No, giraffes didn’t teach them how, but the women of the Kayan Lahwi tribe long ago started wearing heavy neck coils to extend their necks.

Why? Beauty, identity, maybe even tigers. And yes, they do deal with neck pain.

In parts of Africa and Southeast Asia (via tourists and cultural memory), you’ve heard of “long-neck” women.

Specifically, the Kayan Lahwi women begin wearing brass neck coils at a young age, gradually increasing the number of turns.

The illusion? A longer neck.

But science and anthropology show the vertebrae don’t actually stretch; instead, the collarbone and upper ribs get pushed down by the weight of the rings, creating the visual effect.

So what’s the “why”?

Anthropologist sources propose a few possibilities:

• The rings distinguish tribe members from other tribes, making them harder to abduct or enslave.

• Traditional beliefs say it emulates dragons or mythical figures, linking to Kayan legends.

• Some claim it offered literal protection — the thick buffalo-brass around the neck might have deterred tiger bites or neck attacks in the past.

What about neck pain?

Yes, heavy coils (some weigh up to 11 lbs) sit on top of a skeleton that wasn’t built for it.

Over time, the collarbones are pushed down, the ribs are compressed, and the muscles adapt differently.

The result can be stiffness, reduced range of motion, and a lifetime of carrying extra weight around the neck/upper-shoulder area.

Here’s the giraffe link. Why mention giraffes? Because like the Kayan women’s illusion of neck length, giraffes achieve long necks through vertebrae evolution over millennia, so it frames the concept that “long neck = cool, odd, special” across nature and human culture.

Our Verdict

Your neck might hurt from phone-tilt, rough jobs, and decades of "one more beer." But know this: those women turned neck gravity into art and culture.

Kentucky's got its own traditions that bend the body.

Jockeys starving themselves to make weight. Distillery workers with backs shaped by bourbon barrels.

Farmers with necks that haven't looked up straight in decades. We all carry weight for what matters to us, theirs is just more visible.

So next time your neck's shouting, "Why me?", whisper back: "At least I didn't strap brass on as a status symbol."