| PADAUNG |
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They belong to the Kayin group of the Tai Tayok main group. They are the second
largest population in the Kayah State. They are found in the western parts of
the Kayah State and in the hills around Mobye region.
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The men tie their hairs into a topknot on the right side of the head. They wear
short pants with hand woven jackets on top. They also have head bands around
their heads. The women have huge topknots on the front of their heads secured
with bamboo combs. They have red headscarves, knee-length black inner garment
and waist-length outer garment. They also wear brass rings on their calves and
neck. Small diameter brass rings are put around the neck and underneath the
bigger rings to give strength to the elongated neck and giving them the curious
name of "giraffe women". They wear big earrings in their ears and silver or
beads necklaces.
There are Buddhists as well as Christian and animists. Padaung are mostly
engaged in agriculture and hunting.
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At traditional Tagundaing festival, villagers dance around a kind of a totem
pole in honour of a ceremony or New Year. These ceremonies are held under the
guidance of the village shaman. The traditional brass gong with the frog motif,
big brass gongs and cowbells are valued items for the Padaung. They engage in
wrestling matches and other forms of martial arts.
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The girls do not have any inheritance rights. Zayein are also of the Padaung
stock. They believe that they lose their caste and identity if they should ever
be away from their own village for more than three days and therefore they had
never attended the annual Union Day celebrations.
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| A Padaung Couple (Kantarawaddy) |
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| A Padaung girl at the spinning wheel. |
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| Padaung woman (Kantarawaddy) |
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| Zayein women (Mongpai) |
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