“What is the ultimate mark of beauty?” This question has long been a subject of debate – to some, the notion of fair skin and stick-thin figures are the epitome of beauty. For others, however, a voluptuous shape and tanned skin are what makes it into the hall of fame. Due to evolving medical standards, plastic surgery is a controversial benchmark of beauty – some people believe in the notion of no pain, no gain, while others prefer to keep with what they were born with.
On the other side of the world, however, exists ancient tribes and groups of people who break these molds. Using body modification techniques, they create a new standard of beauty of their own. Broaden your mind with some of the most interesting beauty norms around the world:
1. Lip-plates amongst the Mursi, Chai and Tirma tribes in Africa
Commonly seen in Mursi women, their lips are stretched out with small clay plates and eventually swapped out for bigger ones as they grow older. Seen as a mark of their identity and beauty, many of them still manage to dance and sing gracefully during local festivals – albeit with slight changes to their pronunciation, it does not actually interfere with their daily lives apart from eating and drinking with more difficulty.
2. Tattooed lips & faces amongst the Maori Tribe in New Zealand
Known as Tā Moko, the Maori people wear symbols of their culture and status on their body in the form of tattoos – the traditional way of doing it was to use a rake-like object to dig into their skin, breaking the surface and using a flat-edged knife to line the patterns carved with black ink. Today, many of them opt for the modern tattoo gun as it is more convenient and leaves cleaner lines. As the head is revered as the most sacred part of the human body, the Maori people is more commonly seen with their face and lips tattooed, with males sporting a full facial tattoo while females would get their lower part of their face and lips inked.
3. Elongated necks amongst the Kayan Women in Myanmar
It is not uncommon to see women wearing brass coil rings when wandering in the mountaintops of Myanmar. The Kayan women were known to practise the art of neck rings in the pursuit of beauty – young girls from the age of 8 will start with 5 coils, and gradually adding on to the numbers as they grew older. Contrary to popular belief, the neck ring only creates an illusion that their necks get longer, and they can remove the rings without their necks flopping under them.
4. Chalk covered bodies amongst the Karo people in Ethiopia
Intricate patterns line the bodies of people from the Karo tribe – smeared on with white chalk and occasionally mixed with red ochre, the people here view the spiraling motifs as a mark of beauty, with both men and women who actively practise this form of visual art here. For the tribesmen especially, they use these marks as their first line of defence – a form of intimidation for rivals and enemies alike. Scarring of their bodies is also not uncommon, as they are seen as courageous acts and are traditionally accepted as attractive.
5. Stretched earlobes amongst the Maasai Tribe in Southern Kenya
The Maasai tribe in Southern Kenya is a sight you definitely can’t miss when exploring the mountainous regions – decked out in colourful shawls and clothes, the Maasai women also sport a unique accessory: dangling earrings hanging from stretched earlobes. Using nature’s creations, they will use heavy objects such as tusks, stones, and wood to expand their earhole and gradually increasing the size of them to create drooping earlobes. Seen as a mark of beauty, the women often pair their earrings with matching headscarves and shoes with intricate handmade accessories.
6. Curvy body figures amongst rural villages in Mauritania
Here in Mauritania, it is common to see plus-sized women walking down the alleys. After all, a voluptuous and curvy body is considered a symbol of wealth and beauty here, which led to the establishment of “feeding camps” that force feeds young girls from the age of 8 unhealthy portions of food daily, in a bid to gain weight quickly. Many here seem to still hold on to the belief that the bigger the girl is, the more beautiful she is – which means that this practice may not die off anytime soon.
Re-consider your notion of beauty
Exploring parts of the world that are less travelled gives you a glimpse into the ancient lifestyles that guarded the notion of beauty since centuries ago. Although we may not agree with some of them, it’s still an eye-opening experience to speak to these people and to find out why they still conform to said practices. Make a quick stop next time you’re in the area of these people – the fruitful experience is a change of pace to the flashy attractions!
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