Women always strive to look beautiful, but ideas about beauty differ in many countries. In this issue, you will learn about some of the ideals of female beauty in different parts of the world and unusual ways of decorating.
Long neck
In the photo: The necks of padaung women do not lengthen - the shoulder girdle falls under the weight of the rings. According to another popular opinion, rings can be removed and put on without fear that the woman will die. Photo by Justin Vidamo.
The Padaung people know firsthand that "beauty requires sacrifice." Starting from the age of 5, metal spirals made of brass with a thickness of 1 cm are wound on girls' necks. Their number only increases with age. So, the necks of older women can wrap around rings with a total height of 30 cm.
There is a version that this unusual tradition arose for the purpose of protection. Historically, Padaungs lived in the highlands in what is now Myanmar and Thailand. When husbands left in search of food, defenseless women could fall prey to tiger attacks. Thus, the hoops served as a kind of armor protecting from the predator. And although today tigers have not been observed in this area for a long time, the tradition of ringing the neck and legs has survived. In addition, women say that their men like long necks and that a girl with hoops is more likely to get married.
Long lip
In the photo: In addition to the Mursi, other African tribes also wear discs in the lip, in particular Surma, Kihepo and Kirdi. Photo by: Achilli Family.
Girls from the Ethiopian Mursi tribe resort to a more radical way of decorating. They pull the lower lip with a circular disc (dhebi a tugoin). When a girl turns 15-18, her mother or any other woman from the tribe cuts the girl's lower lip with a knife or arrow and inserts a stick into it. Later, it is replaced with a clay or wooden plate: at first a small one, and eventually more. Sometimes the diameter of such jewelry can reach 12-15 centimeters! To prevent the disc from pressing on the lower teeth, they are simply removed. True, not all, but 2-4 incisors. By the way, the discs can be removed during meals or at bedtime.
It is believed that the larger the disc, the higher the social status of the woman and the greater the ransom must be paid for her before the wedding. However, many Mursi girls get married before she is "awarded" with a plate. In addition, there is an opinion that the plate can speak of age - the wider the plate, the older the woman. According to another version, the size of the plate directly depends on the authority of the girl.
There is an explanation for this unusual tradition. Mursi believe that evil spirits can enter a person through the mouth. The disc in the lip prevented this. Interestingly, men do not resort to such protection. It is likely that by using such decoration, they reduce the likelihood that someone from another tribe will take their women away.
Elongated lobe
In the photo: A Masai woman with elongated earlobes. Photo by: William Warby.
See also issue - Mystery of the Mursi tribe
A similar procedure is typical for another African tribe. Maasai women living in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania use a similar disc to lengthen their ears. Girls at an early age pierce the lobes with a splinter of horn. Wooden objects are inserted into the hole. Over time, the weight is increased with the help of beads and bulky jewelry until the lobe is pulled to the shoulders. The longer the ears, the more respected and beautiful a woman is considered to be for her fellow tribesmen.
In order not to injure such beauty during walks or work, women throw a lobe over the upper edge of the ear. They also use decoration for practical purposes: they can insert the necessary objects into the hole, for example, a smoking pipe or cutlery. Interestingly, an elongated earlobe is not the only thing that makes women irresistible in the eyes of Maasai men. For the sake of beauty, Maasai women also knock out their front teeth and shave their heads.
Soiled body
In the photo: Himba (pictured) is not the only tribe whose representatives smear their bodies with a special mixture. In the Angolan Mwila tribe, women cover their hair with a paste of oil, bark and dung. Photo by: Gusjer.
The women of the Himba people of northern Namibia start their day with an unusual beauty treatment. They smear themselves from head to toe with a mixture of ocher, grease and ash, even covering their hair, braided in dreadlocks. The resin of the omuzumba bush is added to the ointment - it gives a red color. This mixture not only makes Himba women attractive in the eyes of men, but also protects the skin from the scorching sun. Therefore, both men and children use this ointment. But even this is not enough for a Himba woman to look amazing. After the rite of initiation into adulthood, the four lower teeth are removed for girls.
Face tattoo
Photo: A Maori woman with a tattoo on her chin. Photo by: Quinn Dombrowski.
See also issue - Smiles of women Ainu
Maori women, the indigenous population of New Zealand, have long adorned themselves with tattoos. Unlike men, who covered the whole body with intricate patterns, women most often painted only the face and chin. It was believed that girls are more in need of emotional "nourishment", so the "moko" (tattoo) covered the area around the mouth. In addition, such an unusual decoration attracted members of the opposite sex.
The Maori borrowed the patterning technique from Polynesia. Tattooing serves for Maori and protection, and a manifestation of individuality, and a kind of passport by which one could learn about the character and life of its owner. Previously, this art was not available to everyone. Only representatives of the upper strata were worthy of wearing an individual tattoo. She indicated status and noble birth, so a woman with a pattern was more likely to get married. In addition, the Maori believed that drawing helped to maintain youth and beauty. Today, the art of "ta-moco", forgotten in the 19th century, is experiencing its rebirth. Many Maori people get tattoos to show their respect for the traditions of their ancestors.
Nose plugs
In the photo: A woman of the Apatani people. Photo by: rajkumar1220.
Apatani women in northeastern India pierce the wings of the nose and insert plugs called Yaping Hullo into the holes. It is believed that this tradition arose due to the fact that a long time ago, women of this people were the most beautiful in the area and suffered from increased attention from men from other tribes. So that those would not have a desire to take the beauties away, they came up with such a frightening "decoration". In addition, the girls were tattooed in a straight line from the chin to the tip of the nose. Over time, nose plugs became a common feature of women's appearance and a distinctive feature of the tribe. Recently, however, the younger generation of the Apatani people prefer to adorn themselves in other ways.
Small foot
In the photo: The graceful leg of a Chinese woman. Photo from the German Federal Archives.
For the sake of beauty, Chinese women had to make serious sacrifices: from the beginning of the 10th to the beginning of the 20th century, the cult of an elegant leg was popular in the country. The top of grace was a foot 10 cm long, curved in the shape of a crescent and resembling a lotus. To achieve this effect, at 4-year-old girls, the foot was bandaged in such a way that four fingers were bent and in contact with the sole. In this position, the foot stopped growing and became deformed. A small hoof-like leg was considered a symbol of female chastity and the most attractive part of a woman's body. Beauties with bandaged legs could hardly move, limped and experienced pain when walking. But the chances of successfully getting married with the owners of lotus legs were much higher. At the beginning of the 20th century, the lotus foot went out of fashion, and Chinese women stopped suffering because of this canon of beauty.
Photo: X-ray of the lotus leg. Source: Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.
See also issue - Lotus feet of Chinese beauties - torment and mutilation since childhood
Scars
In the photo: Women of the Surma tribe, who live in the Omo Valley in Ethiopia, not only adorn themselves with scars, but can also pull out the earlobes and lips using a ceramic disc. Photo by Rod Waddington.
Women of the African Surma tribe adorn their bodies with scars. It is believed that the more scars, the more resilient and attractive a woman is. Scarification is used not only by the fair sex, but also by men, for whom it is primarily a demonstration of courage. By the number of scars on the right hand (for women - on the left), you can find out how many enemies were killed by the owner of the scars. The scarring procedure is very unpleasant: the skin is cut with a blade, lifted with an acacia thorn and a mixture of ash and plant sap is rubbed into the wound, causing irritation. Thus, the scar acquires the desired convex shape.
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