Rungus Dusun | Encyclopedia.com. (n.d.). https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/rungus-dusun

Occasionally, relatives from distant villages are invited to participate in the Mamapak Mamasi Pomogunan ceremony as part of the celebration of Magahau. Food from animals offered as sacrifices during the festivities is served to the guests. Generally speaking, Magahau is not a ceremonial festival in and of itself. It is frequently celebrated independently of other ritualistic festivities such as Mamapak, Lumuvas, Mongulok, Papak Tavasi, and Papak Taraat.

However, because of ingrained notions that a celebration needs to have a reason or involve ritualistic activities, Magahau is perceived from some angles as being connected to rituals. As a result, it is clear that Magahau festivities in the past were accompanied with rites, without which celebration would not have been possible. They also held the belief that in the absence of the rites, malevolent spirits would disturb the society, resulting in pain. The Magahau event was unrestricted by time or season back then as well such as after a harvest season or new year.

Magahau is also categorized as a grand celebration honoring the blessing of an abundance of food. Back then, the Rungus considered having an abundance of food and crops, as well as a peaceful existence, to be a boon. Hence, the celebration serves as a symbol of spreading joy among family members, nearby communities, and other people.

However, it is noteworthy to note that Magahau is currently observed without any ceremonies because the majority of Rungus are Christians and Muslims, who are not bound by the traditional beliefs. As a result, it is evident that although Mamapak is run by individuals who adhere to traditional beliefs, Magahau is run by the Momogun Rungus Sabah Organization (SAMORA).

Magahau Festival. (n.d.). https://pemetaanbudaya.jkkn.gov.my/en/state/category/culture/581

There were 1,233,103 people living in Sarawak in 1980. There were 69,578 Melanau, 53,689 of whom were Muslim, 8,486 of whom were Christian, 1,749 of whom were tribal, and 5,328 of whom were registered as having no religion, which meant they practiced tribal religion.

Melanau | Encyclopedia.com. (n.d.). https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/melanau

The celebration serves as a sacrifice for good fortune as well as a ceremony of purification and gratitude. These days, the emphasis is increasingly on preserving a legacy. The Melanau calendar, which starts at the conclusion of the Northeast monsoon, officially begins on this day. Every year, the third week of April is when Kaul takes place.

On the right bank of the Mukah River Estuary is where the festival is being held. Throughout the week-long celebration, there will be traditional games, entertainment, and food vendors. The "Serahang," a beautifully painted flat round basket made of sago leaves that is raised on a bamboo pole, will be the main attraction. It will be led by the elders of the Melanau community.

Playing the enormous swing (Tibau) and indulging in the traditional Melanau cuisine (Keman Baw Bateng, or "Makan Beradat" in Malay) are two activities that shouldn't be missed.

Corporate Website of Sarawak Tourism Board. (n.d.). https://stb.sarawak.gov.my/modules/web/pages.php?mod=event&sub=event_detail&id=86

When Kaul begins, the elaborately adorned fishing boats glide along the river while toting the seraheng, a circular, flat basket balanced upon a bamboo stick. It is set out on a riverbank, and the ceremony's Bapa Kaul, or leader, blesses the spirits and washes the offerings with water. The aged and ill used to congregate at the "seraheng" in hopes that the water poured over the gifts would fall on them and purge them of all evil. The ceremony has more social than religious importance these days.

Following the ceremony, there are beach activities, Melanau martial arts demonstrations, dancing, and food. After dusk, the celebrations simply transfer to the Melanau houses situated on rivers and streams, where there are continual feasts and cultural performances. The fishing towns around Mukah have an aura of a bamboo Venice due to their charming native homes, and their friendliness is well-known.

Visitors to Kaul quickly discover why Sarawak is famous for its Melanau food. Their go-to meal these days is the adaptable sago. Visitors' palates are delighted by the multitude of delectable ways that sago can be prepared, and they relish the mouthwatering assortment of delectable delights that are enhanced by the inclusion of seafood.

Melanau men wore headwear inspired by Javanese culture, a canary green chiffon scarf as a waistline, and a dapper jacket-cut tunic with brocade embroidery. Melanau women, meantime, dress in yellow songket sarongs, black satin blouses, and red embroidered chest decorations with string pendants.

The exquisite kain songket they are donning is a Rejang songket, which is incredibly labor-intensive to weave. Naturally, the labor-intensive nature of the kain songket and its elaborate designs translate into premium prices.

History of Kaul Festival. (2010, November 25). The Land of Hornbill’s Celebrations. Retrieved November 5, 2023, from https://sharmabelle.wordpress.com/kaul-festival/history-of-kaul-festival/#:~:text=After%20the%20ceremony%20there%20are,performances%20and%20non%20stop%20feasting.

Costume. (2010, November 25). Sarawak Ethnic Groups. https://sarawakethnic.wordpress.com/sarawak-ethnic-group/melanau/clothes/

Costume. (2010, November 18). The World of Bidayuh and Melanau (Paparazzi). https://2010paparazzi.wordpress.com/melanau-2/living-styles/costume/#:~:text=The%20traditional%20Melanau%20costume%20for%20men%20is%20called%20the%20Baban.

Sadly, the Ibans were stigmatized for being the forerunners in the headhunting industry. The Ibans' practice of headhunting is thought to have begun when their territory became overpopulated. Back then, before the advent of western civilization, it was fatal to trespass onto another tribe's territory. The only way to survive was to confront.

Rhymes, X. (2012, January 31). IBAN HISTORY IN BRIEF. Iban Customs  & Traditions. https://ibancustoms.wordpress.com/iban-history-in-brief/

They also went to a Tuaran orphanage. Following the visit, they went to the Wisma Tun Fuad for a gala night where they paraded their costumes. The Minister of Trade and Industry, Datuk Wilfred Tangau, graced this magnificent evening. According to Jose, in addition to the beauty pageant, there will be a singing competition where the champions from the several zones that are taking part, including Labuan, Kota Marudu, Pitas, Matunggung, Johor, and Kudat, among others, will compete against each other.

In addition, the event will feature the winners of the Mitarab dot Band (Battle of the Band) showcasing their skills.

Along with playing the Sundatang, this year's celebration of the Rungus Sundatang invention (a musical instrument) is also anticipated to take place during the event.

Although Jose stated that more than 500 people are anticipated to attend, he thought that more would show up to see the festival. It is anticipated that Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Shafie Apdal will preside over the function.

The Rungus outfit has a straightforward design. They wear a top called "banat tondu" and the skirt is a knee-length sarong that is called "tapi rinugading". It fits loosely over the head and hangs over the shoulders, like sleeves, over the arms. The belts and necklaces that match with this ensemble are what really add intrigue to it. A wide, vibrant hipband known as orot and is coiled around the hip very gently and delicately to fit.

Next, a final strand of beads, known as lobokon, is slackly suspended from the coil. Two shoulder bands, called pinakol, are worn over each shoulder diagonally and cross over in front. Typically, when wearing this costume, the pattern needs to adhere to historical styles. Additionally, long antique bed necklaces, or "sandang," are draped over the shoulders diagonally.

The Rungus woman has her hair styled in a bun and is donning a titimbok, a multicolored floral headdress. A narrow beaded ring known as a sisingal is fastened over the forehead, and around the nape, multicolored rampai—a row of cloth pieces sewed together—are linked.

Festival wear is when this beaded and belted attire is worn. Rungus ritual specialists do rituals while dressed in full as well.

People & Culture: Rungus - Sabah Tourist Association. (n.d.). 2010. http://www.sta.my/rungus.cfm

Journalist, B. (2019, July 31). BNN JOURNALIST. Retrieved November 5, 2023, from https://borneonews.net/2019/07/31/magahau-festival-to-be-held-in/

The Gawai Dayak festival, which dates back to 1957, was formally gazetted as a public holiday on September 25, 1964, taking the position of Sarawak Day. Gawai Dayak, which was first observed formally on June 1, 1965, has grown to represent the Dayak community's togetherness, aspirations, and hope. It is now an essential component of Dayak social life.

The Skrang River, The Lemanak River, Batang Ai, and Annah Rais are a few noteworthy locations to visit during the Gawai Dayak festival. One of the greatest occasions to visit Sarawak is during Gawai Dayak, when the local way of life comes to life and there are many of festivals that welcome guests.

GAWAI DAYAK FESTIVAL - Tourism Malaysia Corporate Site. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2023, from https://www.tourism.gov.my/media/view/gawai-dayak-festival

The festivities begin on May 31 in the evening with a ritual known as Muai Antu Rua, which means "to cast away the spirit of greediness" and denotes that the spirit of bad luck will not interfere with the festivities. In the Iban longhouse, two men or children each pulling a chapan (winnowing basket) will walk by the rooms of each household, where they will discard undesired items into the basket. After that, the unwelcome items are flung from the longhouse's end to the ground in an attempt to summon bad luck.

The ritual music, gendang rayah, will be performed prior to the offering ceremony, known as miring, which is scheduled to begin at approximately 6 p.m. When offering a cockerel as a sacrifice, the feast chief will praise the gods for the bountiful harvest and pray for wisdom, blessings, and a long life.

A gong is struck to signal the start of the new year. A procession that walks the whole length of the longhouse in order to greet the spirits known as Ngalu Petara entails. Now that traditional music and dancing are being played, the event becomes even more festive. Others will perform poetry, or pantun.

The next day, there might be blowpipe performances, ngajat (dance) competitions, and cockfighting among other events. The Dayaks will welcome guests into their homes on this day. The custom of serving guests with tuak before allowing them to enter the longhouse is known as masu pengabang in the longhouses. The Gawai Dayak festival is a multi-day event that begins and ends with the Dayaks opening their houses to guests. Many Dayak weddings also occur during this time of year, since it is uncommon for the entire community to congregate in the longhouse at once.

At the stroke of twelve, the gong is struck, and the Tuai Rumah leads the members of the longhouse in a toast with Ai Pengayu, a unique variety of tuak, as they exchange wishes for "Gayu Guru, Gerai Nyamai," or "Long Life, Health, and Prosperity."

New mats will be arranged on the ruai, the open space that spans the length of the longhouse, following a basic cleaning. The walls will be decorated with a display of pua kumbu, a traditional handwoven fabric, which will also be used as tablecloths.

The longhouse's Gawai celebrations provide an excellent opportunity for participants to dress in traditional garb. The women would don the sugu tinggi, an Iban maiden headdress, as a hairpiece while they dressed in the ngepan, a traditional outfit for greeting guests to the longhouse. The men would have a headdress made of peacock feathers and wear cawat or sirat (loin fabric) with necklaces, armlets, and anklets.

The Gawai Dayak celebrations and festivities begin in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, even a week in advance with charming street parades and cultural events. A beauty contest is held on the eve of the Gawai, with many Gawai Queens crowned—one for each of the communities of Iban, Bidayuh, and Orang Ulu.

GAWAI DAYAK FESTIVAL - Tourism Malaysia Corporate Site. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2023, from https://www.tourism.gov.my/media/view/gawai-dayak-festival

GAWAI DAYAK FESTIVAL - Tourism Malaysia Corporate Site. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2023, from https://www.tourism.gov.my/media/view/gawai-dayak-festival

GAWAI DAYAK FESTIVAL - a TIME OF THANKSGIVING AND MERRYMAKING. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2023, from https://sarawaktourism.com/blog/gawai-dayak-festival#:~:text=Gawai%20celebrations%20at%20the%20longhouse,maiden%20headgear)%20as%20hair%20accessory.

Europeans have been using the name "Dusun" since the nineteenth century, when they began to use the informal Malay term orang dusun (people of the orchards) as a conventional term of reference. The Kalabit, Milanau, and Murut peoples of northern Borneo are included in the Kalimantan nation, which is referred to as the "Dusun" population in modern ethnological literature. The Dusun people started using the term "Kadazan" to refer to themselves and set themselves apart from other indigenous populations in Sabah in the years after the former British colony of North Borneo was incorporated (on September 16, 1963) into the new nation of Malaysia as the state of Sabah. Many Dusun today see the word "Dusun" as a remnant of European colonial rule and as a derogatory ethnic designation that undervalues their rich cultural heritage and experience as a people well-suited to a harsh regional climate.

Dusun | Encyclopedia.com. (n.d.). https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/dusun

Kaamatan is one of the rare remnants of the ancient tribal way of life in Sabah, dating back to a period when the majority of the region's tribes practiced animistic beliefs. May is dedicated to the event, which concludes with two days set aside for public holidays. In addition to being a time for gathering, feasting, and mending connections within the community, Pesta Kaamatan is also a time for offering thanks for the abundant crop. Donning traditional costumes, representatives from every district turn out in force to highlight Sabah's rich and varied cultural legacy.

In the real spirit of Kaamatan, new friendships are formed and old ones are cemented among people of all races, creeds, and cultural traditions as hands are extended in friendship to all celebrants, guests, and visitors alike.

"Tomot," a Kadazandusun word for "harvest," is the root word from which the name "Kaamatan" is derived. The fundamental acts of invocation of divinities, appeasement, purification and restoration, reunion of beneficent spirits, and thankfulness to the Source of All are embodied in the Kaamatan Festival. It is a component of the intricate, well-rounded Momolian religious system that revolves on the life cycle of Bambarayon, the spirit that resides within paddy, and the paddy rites of passage."

But the Kaamatan Harvest Festival is more than just a celebration to mark the start of the harvest season. Telling a myth will let one fully comprehend Kamaatan Harvest Festival.

Everything started when their god, Kinoingan, showed compassion for the people going through a severe famine many moons ago. He chopped his daughter Huminodun into tiny pieces as a sacrifice to save the people. He then spread her flesh across the ground, causing padi (rice) to grow. The rice known as Bambarayon or Bambazon is thought to represent the embodiment of the spirit of Huminodun.

Traditions Of Pesta Kaamatan | SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES. (n.d.). https://sgs.upm.edu.my/article/traditions_of_pesta_kaamatan-67074#:~:text=Kaamatan%20or%20Pesta%20Kaamatan%20is,ethnic%20groups%20in%20the%20state.

Team, A. C. (n.d.). Kaamatan Festival. https://www.amazingborneo.com/travel/Kaamatan%20Festival%20Story

In addition to the competitions mentioned above, there are other activities like displays of Sabah handicrafts and artwork. A few of the handicrafts created by the Sabah people are on display in this exhibition, sure to draw interest from both domestic and foreign visitors. There are also bodybuilding competitions, singing competitions, and dancing performances. Folk sports and gong-hitting competitions have grown to be among the festival's main attractions.

If you would prefer to celebrate Kaamatan as a feast day, there are many different kinds of traditional cuisine and drinks to choose from. For beverages, there are the Linongot, Ombuyat, Borot, Soko Kinapa, Hinava, Tivak Kinapa, Kulupis, Tuhau, and Sambal Mangga; there are also a variety of regional deserts and delicious tapai, bahar, lihing, and montoku rice and coconut wines, all of which are offered for free as long as they last.

The title Unduk Ngadau derives from the ethnic word Runduk Tadau, which means 'the girl crowned by sunlight', and the crowning occurs at the end of the event.

Harvest Festival (Pesta Kaamatan) | Sabah, North Borneo. (n.d.). Sabah, North Borneo. https://sabahtourism.com/article/harvest-festival-pesta-kaamatan/?locale=en

Team, A. C. (n.d.). Kaamatan Festival. https://www.amazingborneo.com/travel/Kaamatan%20Festival%20Story

Murut literally means 'hill people'. In the past, the Murut were nomadic farmers who relocated their communities every few years. While every ethnic group has its own dialect, the majority of them are also fluent in Malay, the official language of Brunei and Malaysia.

Project, J. (n.d.). Murut, Tagal in Malaysia. https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/15174/MY

According to legend, the Murut tribe's traditional handicraft is linked to the somber occasion of having to sacrifice Ralaa. Ralaa gave her life in return for a plentiful harvest for her brother's padi field. Ralaa was renowned for her skill as a craftswoman, working with materials like rattan and bamboo.

In the state of Sabah, the Kalimaran Festival is a cultural celebration for the Murut ethnic group. The Murut Tenom Cultural Center in Sabah hosts this festival annually from March 31 to April 1. The Murut tribe will also showcase live components from a variety of artistic and cultural disciplines throughout this festival.

The Federal Government, the Tenom District Office, and the Sabah State Government work together to arrange the annual Kalimaran Festival, which was initially announced by the former in 2003. The event also hopes to draw more visitors to the Tenom district from both domestic and foreign locations so they may experience the culture and variety of Murut tribe handicrafts firsthand. The Murut tribe also offers a variety of traditional foods and traditional dancing performances.

Kalimaran Festival. (n.d.). https://pemetaanbudaya.jkkn.gov.my/en/state/category/culture/580

Murut’s Kalimaran Festival. (2021, January 18). MySabah.com. https://www.mysabah.com/wordpress/muruts-kalimaran-festival/

In addition, there will be entertaining events and competitions such the handicraft exhibition, singing competition, Kalimaran Queen competition, and concert. Two of the murut sub-ethnic groups, Tagol and Timugon, will also stage their fictitious nuptials.

Festival | murutpeople. (n.d.). Murutpeople. https://oscaryip4315.wixsite.com/murutpeople/festival#:~:text=THE%20MURUT%20PEOPLE&text=Apart%20from%20this%2C%20there%20will,also%20perform%20their%20mock%20wedding.

3. Melanau (Kaul)

   • Who are the Melanau people?

   • What festival do they celebrated?

   • How they celebrated the Kaul festival?

   • YouTube video of the Kaul festival

   • Journal article

4. Iban (Gawai Dayak)

   • Who are the Iban people?

   • What festival do they celebrate?

   • How they celebrated the Gawai Dayak festival?

   • YouTube video of the Gawai Dayak

   • Journal article

     
     

5. Dusun (Kaamatan)

   • Who are the Dusun people?

   • What festival do they celebrate?

   • How they celebrated the Kaamatan festival?

   • YouTube video of the Kaamatan festival

   • Journal article

   
   

6. Murut (the Kalimaran)

   • Who are the Murut people?

   • What festival do they celebrate?

   • How they celebrated the Kalimaran festival?

   • YouTube video of the Kalimaran festival

   • Journal article

7. Reflection and references

1. Traditionally, the Rungus ethnic group's way of life was governed by hereditary taboos, customs, and traditional beliefs.

2. The ritualistic ceremonial involvement in the Magahau celebration, according to the ethnic Rungus, is necessary for their safety and protection from the intervention of supernatural powers.

3. The idea of Magahau has evolved from ceremonial rites to mass gatherings as the Rungus culture has transformed.