FEW traditions in South-East Asia have the antiquity and universal acceptance of betel chewing. The custom is over 2,000 years old and has survived from ancient times into the twentieth century. Its use cuts across class, sex, or age: ‘The habitual and universal solace of both sexes is the areca nut and betel…which is rarely absent from the mouth of man or woman,’ wrote the Honourable George N. Curzon, a nineteenth-century observer. Its devotees include farmers, priests, and kings, men, women, and children. The homeliness of the name belies its importance.
Three ingredients—an areca-nut, a leaf of the betel-pepper, and lime—are essential for betel chewing; others may be added depending on availability and preference. The leaf is first daubed with lime paste and topped with thin slices of the nut, then it is folded or rolled into a bite-size quid. The interaction of the ingredients during chewing produces a red-coloured saliva. ‘If a person speaks to you while he is chewing his “quid” of betel, his mouth looks as if it were full of blood,’ reflected Isabella L. Bird, an intrepid woman traveller of the nineteenth century. Most of the betel juice is spat out. The tell-tale residue looks like splotches of dried blood. Indeed, the resemblance is so close that some early European visitors thought many Asians had tuberculosis. The splotches of betel spittle are spaced consistently enough for use as measurements of time and distance in rural areas. A short time is ‘about a betel chew’ and the distance between two villages, for example, may be ‘about three chews’.
Traditional priestesses and ritual specialists, or tantagas, are nearly always women, and are skilled in memorizing the rinait, the long ritual chants and prayers that are addressed to the Lotud deities. As among other Dusunic peoples, rinait constitute a unique genre of poetic oral literature. They consist of series of biambic lines--the first in the everyday language, the second (having the same meaning) in the ritual language. They tell of the Creation of the World, the exploits of the deities, the origins of rice, prescriptions for moral living, ritual practices and other aspects of cultural life. Recitation of "rinait" may involve loud chanting or soft whispering, and can last for hours or days, according to the context and occasion.
The tantagas constitute a female hierarchy, with the most elderly who are grandmothers having the greatest spiritual knowledge and power. Younger women learn the rinait and the rituals from older tantagas (the novice is called tantagas wagu), while the most senior one is known as tantagas lawid). In addition to her personal name, each tantagas has a ritual name which is the name of her first grandchild prefaced with the title Odun (Grandmother).
A traditional Suang Lotud house, consisting of a veranda, kitchen and dining area, elevated sleeping and living area and storage attic, is said to replicate the houses in the spirit world of the Suang Lotud belief system.
The Lotud traditional longhouse is a remakable form of architecture. It is in fact the most sophisticated achievement in architecture in the whole of Sabah. This is because it is made of planks (in the old days) strenuously carved with the adze (Malay: beliung) without the facility of saws! The whole house uses not a single nail (as nails were almost impossible to obtain in the old days) but clever slip-in techniques of fitting beams, as well as tying up conenctions with rattans. A unit of the longhouse consists of a sleeping area (ko'odopo'), a kitchen (ropuhan), an attic (tilud), a corridor (olot-olot) separating the walled part of the house and the common varendah (soliw). The number of poles or stilts depends on the length or the number of living units. In the Tuaran district,.
Dusun Long House.
Root top Of Dusun House Build By Palm Leaves/"Atap"
The flooring is made of stems of palm- trees split into laths, and in other cases of cane, bamboo or even twigs.
A model house Of Suang Lotud,Borneo.
Mangrove Palm or Nipah palm;
Palm leaves ; if the latter the nipa leaves are used when procurable. The flooring in some villages is made of stems of palm- trees split into laths, and in other cases of cane, bamboo or even twigs. The laths or bamboos allow a delicious current of air to permeate the apartment. The outer walls are of plank or nipa leaves, the inner of bark. No nails are used, the beams or rafters are lashed together with rattan and secured by wooden pegs. The posts are innumerable and of hard wood.
Some
description may well be given here of the dress worn by the women of tuaran
dusun lotud on ceremonial occasions, as this differs vary materially from that
in everyday use. The ceremonial head dress consists of stiff bunches of
feathers, those of the cock or the argues pleasant are used, cut and dress into
the form of a shuttlecock, having a long pin of bamboo fixed into the under
surface. They are ornamented at the top with pieces of red cloth, and are
insert into the hair so as to form a sort of crest running backward from the
front of the head, where, owing to the hair being piled up, the hindermost
clump of feathers is the most elevated, the crest thus having an upward slop
from front to back. From the top of both the foremost and also of the
hindermost tuft of feather depends a string of green beetles wing. Below the
crest of the feathers there surrounds the head a fillet of red cloth backed
with rattan cane, which is ornamented with oblong and square plate of silver
gilt; these are embossed with various patterns. The body from the neck to the
waist is clothed, in most cases, in a tight fitting blue or black jacket of
Chinese cloth, and over this is an elaborately draped scarf of Borne an
manufacture. These scarves, which are very old, are said they are very high
valued, and are only worn on occasions of ceremony. Their color is generally is
a mixture of red and yellow. Around the waist are red, black or natural colored
rings made of rattan cane, such as are affected by all dusun lotud tuaran
women. Below these is a short ceremonial skirt of variegated cloth, the
material of which resembles that of a scarf, and this also is old and
considered very valuable. The majority of the dusun lotud women taking part in
the ceremonies wear round their necks and hanging down the breast, long, many-folded
necklaces composed of old Chinese and Dutch beads; among these are round beads
of cornelian, and also long bugles of the same stone, strung on the necklaces
are long, ornaments of embossed silver, from about 3 to 31/2 inches long, which
are hollow, but are filled with plugs of wood round at the top. The cones are
so disposed on the chain that they hang in pair with their points directed
downwards to form a sloping series on each side of the jacket. This necklace
are termed a “KAMUGGI”, and a good specimen of many folds will often fetch a
good price.
Another
form of ceremonial neck ornament as the “OKOB”, together with an inferior
specimen of the :KAMUGGI” ..............
A) Women head-dress of cocks feathers. The four tufts of feathers are fastened to bamboo pin which are inserted into a receptacle of palm-wood, usd as a mere holder.
B) Ceremonial necklace (kamuggi). C) Ceremonial necklace (Okob),The plaques are of silver;backe with copper-The head mark 1 are of cornelian.
D) Tetubit used in ceremony of menghadji padi X 1/4.
In May, the people of Sabah celebrate their harvest season. Though mainly a festival of the Kadazandusun,which makes up one third of the total population of the state,
it is celebrated by every Sabahan.
They give thanks to the gods and spirits for blessings and a good paddy harvest, asking for guidance; they dance and eat and drink amidst much merrymaking! During this harvest festival, the Pesta Ka'amatan, known locally as “Tadau Ka’amatan”, Sabah natives wear their traditional costumes and enjoy a carnival-like atmosphere, which usually stretches from dawn to dawn. Tapai’, as their homemade rice wine is called,
is freely served during the festivities.
Although many young native Sabahans have been assimilated into urban settings, living and working in the cities and towns, they return to their ancestral longhouses and villages to join in the annual celebrations of their traditionally agricultural societies.
The origins of Ka'amatan, which means "after harvest", can be traced back to the animistic beliefs of the Kadazandusun. The Kadazans believe in the worship of ancient gods and in the existence of the five main spirits – Kinoingan (Almighty God and Creator), Rusad (Spirit of all living things other than Man), Koududuvo (Spirit of the Living), Tombivo (ghostly Spirit of the Dead) and Rogon (evil Spirit).
According to popular belief, the spirit of the padi plant is said to be part of the Kinoingan commonly known as the Bambaazon, who is revered as the overall creator, an omnipotent source of life and existence. Thus the spirit of Bambaazon is revered in the rice plant, the rice grain and the cooked rice. To the Kadazandusun, paddy is not only their staple food - it is also a sacred plant, a living symbol of Kinoingan's love for his people.
Many believe that “without rice, there is no life”Rituals performed during Ka'amatan are conducted by the much-respected Bobohizan or Bobolian, who are High Priests and Priestesses. There are several major components that make up Ka'amatan. There is the home coming of the Bambaazon, which is an integral part of the festival, thus ensure an abundant harvest if it is invited to dwell in the best ears of paddy, which have been selected for the next planting season.
Next, there is the Magavau ceremony, where the Bobohizan are given the onerous duty of searching, salvaging and recovering Bambaazon which have inadvertently been lost, stolen or led astray - by pests and predators, natural phenomena such as floods and droughts, careless harvesters,
and the like - reciting a long summoning prayer in the beginning of the harvest to cajole and persuade the Bambaazon to return to the rice barns.
Then, there is the Unduk Ngadau, a traditional beauty contest, in which, of course, the fairest in the land will participate, and a Ka'amatan Queen will be selected. This is however no ordinary beauty contest, as it apparently owes its origins to the legend or story of the Kadazandusun's genesis,
and their creator, Kinoingan's sacrifice of his only daughter Huminodun, for the love of his people.
One of the many variant legends relates the following -
The Legend Of Kaamatan( Harvest
Festival )
One day, Kinoingan started a farm, but after ploughing he realised that he had no seeds to plant. So he set off in search of some seeds with his valuable brass gong which he carried everywhere on his shoulder. On his way, he met birds and animals, and asked them if they had any seeds, to which they replied that they did not have any yet, having just been created by him. Even though Kinoingan knew that they had none, he nevertheless purposely asked this question to make them all realise that they would have to work hard for their livelihood.
Because there were no seeds in the world then, Kinoingan in the end resourced to sacrificing his only, beautiful and obedient daughter so that all his people would have seeds to grow food they needed. Her head gave rise to coconuts, her flesh became rice padi, her blood (the most precious part) red rice, her fingers ginger, her teeth maize, her knees yams and other parts of her body many more edible plants.
When the padi began to ripen, Kinoingan's wife, Suminundu was requested to first pick a little of it, thresh it, fry it, mix it with coconut flesh and its water and share it with her people and pets. Later, when the harvest came and Suminundu cut the stems of the padi with her sickle the voice of her daughter was suddenly heard requesting her to be careful.
When the time came for Kinoingan and his wife Suminundu to ascend to the heavens Kinoingan informed his wife that they had yet to perform some ceremonies, including a great feast for all the people he had created. For it was the request of Huminodun that it be done to "bestow their love and respect to her for the inheritance of the people of this world". But first he wrote down the customs of each country to guide the people. For those who could not read, he taught priestesses prayers for festive days and for curing sicknesses.
But when the time for the feast came, Kinoingan was not happy. He felt a deep paternal longing for Huminodun and thought that she would surely be leading the feast if she were to be alive. Sadly, he played a tune with his bamboo flute and called his daughter's name.
Miraculously, Huminodun came out of a big jar that was used to hold the remains of the threshed padi. Her return to life added untold joy to the festivities. When the feast was over, Kinoingan, his wife and his daughter disappeared in the heavens, bidding farewell to their guests.
Besides the solemn rituals and ceremonies that form the main function of Ka'amatan,
a variety of other activities are held in the villages as well as on a state level including traditional sports such as buffalo races, blow pipe competitions traditional dances and arm,
Tuaran is the home of the Lotud who is famous for their unique traditional liquor, called bahar, Its popularity is second only to the well known tapai. (toddy made from coconut sap mixed with a special kind of tree bark known locally as rosok which makes the sap colored red, Without the rosok, bahar tastes very much like sherry). This drink has been confirmed by chemists to have a high content of anti-oxidants. It is unfortunate, however, that this drink would taste very pungent and unpleasant to the uninitiated, and it goes bad very fast, becoming sour within a day.
The other Suang Lotud dance, the Bakanjar, a war-like dance with a man
holding a sword and a shield, originally performed to portray the sword
fight and heoric exploits of the headhunting days. Bakanjar is normally
performed solo, but can also be performed in a group. Nowadays it is
performed in the evening of the Monumbui after dinner has started, for the purpose of celebrating and cheering up with the paddy (rice) spirit.
The Suang Lotuds are now quite modern and trendy. To catch them in their traditional costumes would be hard to come by. That’s progress....Anyhow,..To meet the friendly people in their traditional costumes, try and catch them during the festive occasions or weddings. Maybe the Harvest Festival (Kaamatan) would be the best opportune time to see them in their best.
I personally know a number Lotud villages for tourism purposes. Try and search on the Net. You may get lucky.
Pakaian tradisional suku kaum Lotud. Lelaki memakai baju baldu atau kapas berwarna hitam dan dihiasi sulaman dan labuci. Kepala memakai sundi dari kain destar. Wanita memakai baju dan sarung dari kain kapas yang dihiasi sulaman tinobogi dan linangkit dari benang berwarna-warni.
(Lotud traditional clothing. Men dressed in black velvet or cotton and decorated embroidery and sequins. SUNDI wearing head cloth headband. Women wear a jacket and gloves from cotton fabric decorated with embroidery and linangkit tinobogi of colorful yarn.)
Video Source courtesy of Win Yus Atuk.(kampung Panjut)
From an anthropological point of view, it's not clear from where the ethnicDusun Lotudcame from. However, based on anecdotes or folklore, the Dusun have been known to come fromNunuk Ragangor the red-coloured 'Kayu Ru' tree colour situated at Kampong Tampias in the district of Ranau.
According to recent views of researchers, Dusuns had been separated and had different ethnic names and had become sub-ethnic. While other researchers said from the view of ethnology, it may be that the ethnic Dusun were a group of Monggol from the Republic of China, or were Shan people, and Kaohin on the north of Mynmar or ethnic Paiwan (Bunan) from Taiwan or from Indai Tuaran.
The Dusun in Sabah and Brunei Darussalam are similar in customs but some of their words are different.
Most of the ethnic Dusun in Brunei can be found in Kampong Rambai, Lamunin, Long Mayan, Rambai in the Ulu Tutong. In the Belait district, they are in Kampong Bukit Sawat and Kampong Sukang.
From the time before religious disciplines set in Southeast Asia, the ethnic Lotud were pagans and even today they are atheists.
Bruneians use the word 'Dusun' to identify farmers who have a piece of land planted with fruits or tend orchards. The British (British North Chartered Company) 1881-1941 used the word since then to refer to the people.
According to researchers the ethnic Lotud were synonymous with the word 'Suang Lotud' and can be found in 35 villages in Tuaran district. The ethnic Dusun Lotud called Lotude were based on the anecdotes not written by their ancestors. The Lotud women were known to wear skirts below the knees only. The word 'otud' in Dusun Lotud dialect means 'Lutut' or knee.
A husband from ethnic Dusun Lotud can practise polygamy and can divorce.
The 'Adat' or Custom of 'Dusun Lotud' marriage processes is divided into 35 segments like Suruhan, (merisik or bilateral meeting), monunui (bertunang or engagement), popiodop ('bermalam' or stay a night atau ditidur or 'sleeping together'), Matod (kahwin or wedding) and mirapou ('adat' or custom).
Before the 1950's, the partners for Dusun Lotud children were chosen by their parents. The children had no choice except to accept what their parents required for the matching partners without any help. The main objective aimed to have a good sibling: respectful, hard-working in the paddy fields and to avoid incest in the families.
The male's family will appoint an elderly person known as 'suruhan' qualified on the 'adat resam' and will visit the female's house for the purpose of 'merisik' or negotiating.
The 'Suruhan' is aimed at delivering a message to engage the daughter from the female's family. The girl's family requests for a duration of days before the 'Risikan' or negotiation could be accepted. Many matters have to be clearly made known like the family tree, character, the capability of the male's side, and to evaluate the meaning of a dream that occurred in the female's family. If the female's side had a bad dream, 'sogit mimpi' is done for 'perdamaian' or peace. Based on 'adat', when the male's had no 'suruhan' or appointee, they can be fined on 'adat malu' by the girl's family.
Adat Monunui ('bertunang' or engagement) side the proposal of marriage or 'risikan' is accepted by the girl's side, both parties will discuss to fix the date for 'Adat Monunui' They will find the suitable date and month in the Dusun Lotud calendar like the night of the 14th in a one month cycle called 'tawang kopiah' or the 15th night called tolokud, to perform 'monunui'.
As a symbol of engagement, the man's side will give a ring to the woman only. 'Adat Monunui' can only be done in the morning before 1pm. After completion of the ceremony, the man's family members have to leave the woman's home before 4pm.
The most important in 'adat menunui' (engagement) are 'berian/mas kawin' (tinunui), 'belanja dapur' ('wang hangus' or kitchen expenses), 'hantaran tunang' or dowry, 'sogit' atau adat keluarga (jika ada or if family custom exist), tempoh bertunang (duration of engagement).
The list of valuables equivalent to dowry items delivered to the girl are 'karo aman tunggal', 'karo lawid', 'kalro inontilung', 'karo dsapau', 'kemagi lawid', 'kemagi 3 rondog', 'badil' or cannon, 'tajau' or vase, 'canyang tinukul', 'tatarapan', two pieces of 'rantakah', two pieces of 'sigar emas', 'simbong bersiput', 'pertina', 'tompok', gong (tawag-tawag), 'tutup panasatan' ('canyang'), 'kampil', 'kulintangan', two pieces of 'simbong bersiput'.
At the traditional pre-speech, 'adat berian' or dowry custom and belanja dapur or kitchen expenses, the heads of the villages from the man's and girl's sides will start the pre-discussion. They have prepared some pieces of 'kirai' or the (mangrove palm shoot rolled, dried and turned to make cigarette), or the matches sticks as a symbol of notes equivalent to RM1,000 each. The girl's side will make some requests of the man's side. 'Berian' or 'Tinunui' or dowry is obligatory as the symbol of the value of the girl's personality and based on the tradition worth RM1,000. The period to perform a marriage ceremony is one year. The man's family will request for an adjournment of the marriage if the man's encounters a financial problem.
The 'belanja dapur' or kitchen expenses is estimated above RM5,000 and a moderate fat buffalo. 'Adat Berian Tanah' or the land grant custom dowry is obligatory for the ethnic Dusun Lotud called 'Pinolusadan Do Aluwid', with the approved land taxation of 0.25 cents. The purpose of land grant dowry is for the construction of a house when the married couple has children. Based on tradition, if the bridegroom does not have assets like land, the 'berian four binukul (valuable archaic items) will be mentioned with the value of RM1,000.00 as 'adat berian' and has fulfilled the terms.
Linangkit Cultural Village is located at Kampung Selupoh, in the District of Tuaran; approximately an hour drive from Kota Kinabalu. In Linangkit Cultural Village, visitors can experience the culture and the tradition of the Lotud
people, which has been preserved and passed down from the older
generation to the younger generation. Visitors can grasp first hand
experience on the daily life of the Lotud, and various exhibitions have
been set up for better understanding of the culture and the lifestyle of
the Lotud. The cultural village also offers various cultural
performances, i.e. traditional music instruments, dance and songs. The
visit will not be complete, unless you try some of the local delicacies.
Linangkit Cultural Village,Tuaran,Sabah, Malaysia.
The Lotuds are welknown for their very colourful costumes, and their dance, called Sumayau or Mongigol Tuaran.
All in traditional settings were originally meant for worship, and so
is the case of the Lotud dances as well as the dances of the sub-ethnic
groups of the Dusun people(s). The sumayau is most noticeable because of
the 'slow-motion' in the way it is executed, which is in contrast to
the other Dusunic dances (the sumazau of Penampang, the mongigol of
Kudat, etc) which are executed with faster beats. Some say it is boring
but on closer inspection, and under careful study of the best dances
(especially those done by experts doing them solo during a religious
five-day ceremony), one would see that sumayau is extremely artistic and
a very beautiful dance. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the
sumayau is actually the most sophisticated and beautiful traditional
dance in Sabah. The subtle refined movements of the sumayau, which
involve the arms, shoulers, palms, legs and feet combine into something
truly sublime. One impressive movement of the sumayau which is not found
in other Sabah traditional dances is the wonderful sideway movement
without the up-and-down motion, making the dancer appear to slide
magically to one side. One can say that this unique slide of the Lotud
dance is the ancient precursor of the moonwalk!
(Para Lotuds telah pakaian mereka sangat berwarna-warni, dan tarian mereka, dipanggil Sumayau atau MongigolTuaran. Semua dalam persekitaran tradisional asalnya berertibadah, dan begitu juga dengan kes tarian Lotud serta tariankumpulan sub-etnik orang Dusun (s). Sumayau adalah yang palingketara kerana 'gerak perlahan' dengan cara ia dilaksanakan, yang berbeza dengan tarian lain Dusun (Sumazau Penampang,Mongigol Kudat, dll) yang dilaksanakan dengan rentak yang lebih pantas. Ada yang mengatakan ia adalah membosankan tetapi atas pemeriksaan yang lebih erat, dan di bawah kajian teliti tarianterbaik (terutamanya yang dilakukan oleh pakar-pakar yangmelakukan mereka solo pada satu majlis keagamaan lima hari),kita akan melihat bahawa sumayau amat seni dan tarian yangsangat cantik. Ia tidak akan menjadi keterlaluan jika dikatakanbahawa sumayau sebenarnya tarian tradisional yang palingcanggih dan cantik di Sabah. Gerakan-gerakan halus ditapissumayau, yang melibatkan lengan, shoulers, tapak tangan, kaki dan kaki menggabungkan ke dalam sesuatu yang benar-benar luhur.Satu pergerakan mengesankan sumayau yang tidak terdapatdalam tarian tradisional Sabah yang lain adalah gerakanmenyamping indah yang tanpa usul up-dan-down, membuat penarimuncul untuk luncurkan ajaib ke satu sisi. Seseorang itu boleh mengatakan bahawa ini slaid unik tarian Lotud adalah pelopor kunomoonwalk yang!)
Video Source courtesy of Win Yus Atuk.(kampung Panjut)
This is the traditional dance of the Dusun Lotud ethnic group from the Tuaran district where it is also known as "Madsayau". The Sumayau is the main element of a special chanting ceremony or "Mengahau" as it is called in Dusun. It is not performed in ordinary celebrations. A "Monolian", an elderly female priestess who is also a ritual specialist, would lead the dance ceremony. It is a rule of the tradition that this role is held only by the descendents of the previous "Monolian".
"Mengahau" is a big affair and is usually celebrated for 5 days and nights. The purpose of this ceremony is to venerate the "gusi-gusi" (a type of antique jars believed to possess spirits) by chanting ancient ritual verses. It is also conducted to honour dead family members, similar to the "kenduri arwah" (feast for the departed) commonly observed by the Muslim Malay community.
As soon as the music starts, the dancers would sway towards the dance floor. Every movement of the hands would be in harmony with the rhythm of the music. However the movement of the feet are slower as compared to the hands. One simply walks with very small steps in an unhurried manner. The pace of the dance increase with applause from the audience.
