NathanWe all have something we obsess over. While most of our obsessions are common activities such as sports or video games, there are some others who are in constant need of shopping for the latest clothing and staying on trend. We can all agree that obsessions vary and that we all get a little carried away sometimes. This is exactly what Sydney Smith, aka ‘Giraffe Woman’ did. As her nickname suggests, you can already tell where her obsession lies. 5 years of her life was spent elongating her neck. Find out how it all played out in the end…
Beginning Her Journey
If you look at this photo and get a little confused, do not fret because it really is a confusing sight to behold. Sydney here has always been a fan of giraffes. When she turned 25, she made a decision to pay tribute to her favorite thing on the planet. So what did she do? Sydney decided that elongating her neck should the trick. She did not anticipate just how much physical and mental strength this process would require.
Lover Of Giraffes
You must be a little freaked out, right? If you are feeling a little skeptical about believing that this woman really has an obsession with giraffes just because she owns a stuffed giraffe toy, she has something that that will certainly convince you. She actually owns a giraffe purse that she carries with her everywhere. “I never go anywhere without my giraffe purse,” she confesses.
Ring Time
Sydney decided that she wanted to pay tribute to giraffes so she went and put a ring on herself, multiple rings. She desperately wanted to emulate a giraffe so she decided that elongating her neck should be a step. This was in fact, not an easy transformation, it was actually very draining. She initiated the transformation by adding a few rings, then adding more as her neck grew…
In Some Other World
When asked about her reasons for making the neck longer, giraffes were not the only inspiration she drew from. Actually, Sydney had always been fascinated by the Kayan people of South East Asia. The females from Kayan Lahwi would start with their neck rings at the tender age of five. The coils would be added, the more their necks grew each month or year…
Reason Behind?
Anthropologists have done extensive research on these people. There have been a lot of theories as to why these women put on these coils. The coils might be used as a ploy to avoid slavery. It might be used as a defense mechanism to look unattractive so that they are not picked to be slaves by enemies. But it could also be for vanity as slender neck do attract men a lot.
Any Danger?
When the question of it being dangerous or not is raised, the answer is definitely yes. The process, in fact, does not actually elongate the neck at all. The weight of these neck rings actually push the collarbone down and compress the rib cage. But in the case of the Kayan women, the reason behind them wearing these neck coils is just for cultural identity.