Chic African Culture Africa Factbook

Neck elongation rings how to put on and take off

Neck elongation rings how to put on and take off.


Idzila are Ndebele wives traditionally wear rings around the neck as a status symbol

Idzila are Ndebele wives traditionally wear rings around the neck as a status symbol and wear rings around the arms, legs, and neck.


Wearing Neck Rings.

For centuries, married South African Ndebele tribes’ women saw wearing heavy rings around their neck as an honored status symbol. Neck rings are any form of stiff necklaces worn around the neck of an individual. The neck rings are usually made of copper or brass.

During initiation, girls wear an array of colorfully beaded hoops called izigolwan around their legs, arms, waist, and neck. After marriage, the Ndebele wife would wear copper and brass rings around her arms, legs, and neck, symbolizing her bond and faithfulness to her husband, once her home was built.

Idzila rings were believed to have strong ritual powers. Husbands used to provide their wives with rings; the richer the husband, the more rings the wife would wear. These outward symbols can be removed only in case of death of the spouse. Today it is no longer common practice to wear these rings permanently.


How Are Neck Rings Put On.

However, the Western world has picked up the ancient practice of wearing neck rings in art called body modification. However, when you begin wearing brass neck rings as an adult you are not really stretching your muscles or bones.

The process of neck elongation begins when a child is young, around five years old, where heavy brass coil collars are wrapped around the child's neck. As the child gets older new rings are added slowly until as an adult over 15-25 rings weighing over 25-30 pounds is wrapped around the neck.

Bones must be small and flexible in order for neck elongation to happen. Young girls are groomed by female elders on how to wear neck rings and function in everyday society. These female Elders are also responsible for adding additional coils every few years or so.

I bet you thought the neck bones actually stretch when using these rings, the practice should be called shoulder recession instead of neck elongating because the neck never stretches. The weight of the rings pushes the shoulders down and collapse the collarbone. Lowering the shoulders is what really makes the neck appear to be longer.


How Neck Rings Are Taken Off.

Contrary to popular belief, once neck rings are removed the neck does not snap like a twig. However, muscles in the neck are weak and may have a hard time supporting the head.

The brass coils are carefully removed one by one since the rings have taken on the full support and the muscles are weak. Neck muscles can be strained from neck rings and cannot move through its normal range of motion.

The most important role of the neck is that it supports the head and that it houses arteries that supply blood to the brain from the heart. Range of motion was limited wearing the neck rings but with physical therapy pain, swelling, and stiffness can be resolved depending on the age of the neck ring wearer.


About the South African Ndebele Tribe.

The South African Ndebele origins are unknown however; their history can be traced back to chief Mafana in the 1600s. The Ndebele first officially recorded chief, chief Mafana was succeeded by chief Mhlanga.

The Ndebele second chief Mhlanga had a son named Musi who decided to leave his homeland. Chief Mhlanga did not name an heir, after his death his two sons argued over the position, and the tribe divided into two divisions, the Manala, and the Ndzundza.


Their tribal homeland, KwaNdebele, was created in 1979, during apartheid, when the white South African government forced blacks onto "homelands" under a policy that confined 87% of the country's population onto 13% of its land. The 97-square-mile Ndebele homeland was set up in the Transvaal, in what is now known as Mpumalanga province.

South African Ndebele people maintained the use of the isiNdebele language, rituals, customs and art forms as a means of asserting their identity and resistance to outsiders. The Ndebele wall paintings have a strong symbolic value and are closely linked to the home and to the relationship of the person.

Women paint on the outside walls and sometimes also on the interior walls with rich geometric patterns learned from childhood. The walls are changed and repainted in particular moments of family life. This art form has developed in the second half of the nineteenth century, using bright of the brightest colors. Earth tones were used in the past.

Idzila are Ndebele women elongating rings around neck are traditionally worn by Ndebele wives as a status symbol around her arms, legs and neck.

Over time, among the youngest populations, this custom to wear the idzila neck rings for a lifetime is disappearing.

Together we build awareness that boost harmony, education, and success, below are more links to articles you will find thought provoking.

  1. African Country Names Your Saying Wrong
  2. What do Waist Beads Symbolize in Africa?
  3. About African Healers and Witchdoctors
  4. Hurricanes are Angry African Ancestors
  5. Highest Temperature and Lowest Temperature in Africa
  6. About African Night Running


Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet=

More Articles to Read from Chic African Culture

Show more

This Week’s Best Posts and Pages

Sand Traveling from the Shores of Ghana to New England

Image
The journey of a grain of sand from the shores of Ghana to New England, USA, is an important reminder of the interconnectedness of all existence.  It serves as a reminder that even the smallest and seemingly insignificant elements of our world are subject to the grand tapestry of natural processes and the relentless passage of time.  It also invites us to reflect on the intricate web of relationships that underlie our existence and the profound implications of our actions on the global scale. The journey of a grain of sand from the shores of Ghana to New England, USA, shows how interconnected our world is despite vast distances. Sand grains on the shores of Ghana, like those on coastlines worldwide, are constantly subject to natural processes such as erosion. Waves, tides, and weathering gradually break down rocks and minerals, producing sand. The Atlantic Ocean separates Ghana from the eastern United States. Ocean currents, including the North Atlantic Drift and the Gulf Stream, are c
Read the Article

Sofala: A Key Stop on Covilhã's African Odyssey

Image
Sofala, historically known as a significant trading town, holds a special place in the history of Eastern Africa. Located on the eastern coast of Africa, in what is modern-day Mozambique, Sofala was a bustling and strategic port during the late medieval period and the Age of Exploration. Navigating the waters around Sofala was no small feat. The Indian Ocean currents and shifting sandbars made the approach to the Sofala coast treacherous. Pêro de Covilhã's successful navigation of these waters demonstrated his seafaring prowess and furthered Portugal's ambitions to dominate maritime trade routes. To Portuguese explorers, Sofala was not merely a geographical destination but a vibrant crossroads of cultures and trade during the late 15th century. The Age of Exploration in the late 15th century was a transformative era in African human history. It was a time when intrepid European explorers set out on perilous journeys to chart unknown territories, establish trade routes, and unco
Read the Article

Cuban Military Presence in Angola

Image
The Cuban military had a long-lasting presence in Angola, with thousands of troops stationed there during a political conflict. The Cuban intervention in Angola had significant international implications and was seen as part of the broader Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union.  Angola, a former Portuguese colony in southern Africa, was in the midst of a struggle for independence from Portuguese colonial rule. This war for independence lasted from the early 1960s until 1974, when the Portuguese Carnation Revolution led to the decolonization of Portuguese Africa. When Portugal withdrew from Angola in 1975, it left a significant hole in the political landscape in the country. This withdrawal marked the end of decades of colonial rule and set the stage for the country's transition to independence. However, it also created a political void, as there was no clear, unified government to take control. In the absence of Portuguese colonial rule, many Angolan polit
Read the Article

How Water Shapes Borders

Image
African rivers shape land, borders, create cultures, and history. Rivers are pathways; 30% of all borders in Africa are rivers. African rivers shaped countries, cultures, and civilizations with natural liquid borders. The continent of Africa is home to numerous rivers that have played significant roles in shaping its landscape and political boundaries. These water bodies have acted as natural barriers, demarcating borders between countries and sometimes influencing the development of cultures and civilizations. For instance, the Nile River, one of the world's longest rivers, flows through several African nations, including Egypt and Sudan. Its fertile banks have historically supported advanced civilizations and shaped the region's history. The Nile's course has also defined borders and influenced interactions between these countries. In West Africa, the Niger River has played a similar role. It traverses several countries, such as Nigeria, Mali, and Niger, serving as a cruc
Read the Article