THE KAREN

The Karen are a gentle, reserved, warm and elegant people. Their culture is rich in legend and tradition. Their customs complex, deep and strictly adhered to. They have a strong belief in sexual morality, and severe punishments for those who break their laws. They are the only hilltribe who have a tradition of growing paddy rice in the valleys, and are the most productive farmers.

The Karen, (called Kaliang, or Yang in Thai) are found along most of the length of the Thai-Burmese border. Their population is at least 300,000 in Thailand, making them much the most populous hilltribe here. They have also lived in this area for far longer then the other hilltribes.

There are over four million Karen in Burma. They inhabit many areas of western Thailand, and can be divided into several sub-groups, including the Padaung, the famous 'long-neck' people whose women traditionally wear many tight brass rings around their necks. The most numerous groups in Thailand are the Sgaw Karen, followed by the Pwo.

The Karen costume for women is very attractive and distinctive. Unmarried girls wear loose white V-necked blouses, decorated with Jobs tear seeds at the seams. Married women wear blouses and skirts in bold colours, predominantly red or blue. Men wear blue baggy trousers with red or blue shirts, a simplified version of the women's blouses. Black Karen men wear black shirts with a red cummerbund or head scarf.

Karen houses are not usually large. Houses are on stilts, made of bamboo or teak.

The Karen have a matrilineal society so that two married women cannot live in the same house. In some villages, the punishment for adultery is death. The village chief has great power over his community.

Lisu Lodge Adventures