Earplugs and ear elongation

[Patricia Meredith Greer]

You might look at various writings by David White
regarding the Nath Siddhas, who "bore" their ears, for
esoteric reasons -- in particular White's <The Alchemical
Body>.

Patricia

On Sun, 13 Feb 2000 11:12:02 -0800 Paul Kekai Manansala
<kekai at JPS.NET> wrote:

> Geeta Bharathan wrote:
> >
> > As far as parts of southern India are concerned, I would say, without
> > either academic "Indological" credentials or old texts, that the
> > "practice" of ear elongation in recent years, at least, is merely the
> > outcome of wearing large, heavy ear ornaments ("ear plugs?")
>
> Not modern earplugs used to protect against noise, but the disc-like
> pottery and shell ornaments (usually incised) inserted into large
> circular perforations in the lower earlobe.
>
>  When women > stopped wearing these ostentatious ornaments, the practice
> of >ear> elongation stopped, too.
>
> So the practice among men must have ended earlier.
>
> >I've seem women of my grandmother's generation
> > with elongated years.
> >
>
> Interesting. And don't worry, I won't ask how old you are.
>
> Regards,
> Paul Kekai Manansala
>
> --
> Check out http://AsiaPacificUniverse.com/

________________________________
Patricia M. Greer
Department of Religious Studies
University of Virginia