Now famous as an adventure destination, Sabah shares a history similar to Sarawak in that it once practiced mengayau or headhunting. This tradition involved not only taking the head but also preserving it as part of cultural rituals and beliefs.
Once practiced mainly by the Murut and Kadazandusun communities, the artifacts and legacy of headhunting can today be seen in the Sabah Museum.
Here are five interesting facts you need to know about mengayau or headhunting culture:
Here are five interesting facts you need to know about mengayau or headhunting culture of Sabah:
1. There were three types of mengayau or headhunting practices back then.
The ownership of the trophies brought back from their mengayau trips would depend on how the head was taken. If a mengayau was carried out by a larger group (usually the result of a tribal war between different communities) the community would keep the heads.
Meanwhile, if the mengayau happened as the result of a feud between a small group of people, the family would keep the head.
On top of that, some men were also known to go headhunting as a proof of bravery. This was in order for the man seeking to win a bride.
2. One of the tools used in mengayau is called ilang sakuit.
Ilang sakuit is often used to cut off the enemy’s head as a symbol of a warrior’s bravery.
It is believed to have originated from Kalimantan and widely used by the Muruts.
Murut headhunters also wore ‘bilong’ on their mengayau journey, a wooden armlet used as an arm guard. In addition, they are know to have worn ‘papakol’, an accessory and talisman worn on the calf.
3. How and where the skulls are kept were important.
Once the headhunters returned from their raids, the heads had to be kept outside the village for the meantime. The heads were hung from trees or bamboo in what the Kadazandusun from Tambunan and Tamparuli areas called ‘sogindai’. Other headhunters kept them in a temporary hut called ‘sulap’.
After a few days or even weeks, the Kadazandusun ‘bobohizan’ or traditional priest would perform an appeasement ritual before the heads could be safely allowed into the village.
4. The skulls were then passed down from generation to generation.
In the past, skulls were considered as heirlooms and it was believed that the skulls kept by a family would bring protection to the household. When kept by the community, the skulls were believed to protect the village from harm and sickness.
5. The Murut were known to be the last of Sabah’s ethnic groups to renounce ‘mengayau’.
Collecting the heads of their enemies played an important role in the Murut spiritual belief system. As such, the Murut were reportedly the last of Sabah’s ethnic groups to renounce headhunting.
Apart from Sabah, the Murut communities can also be found living in Lawas and Limbang of Sarawak as well as in North Kalimantan, Indonesia.
