Thursday, October 2, 2008

Sabah Local Culture (The World-2nd)

The Rainbow

According to local tradition in Sabah it is considered wrong to point at the rainbow. It was believed in the past that the finger that pointed at the rainbow would wither away. The rainbow was considerd to be a bridge that was used by the souls of those had died to cross over from this world to the next. The person who unwittingly pointed at the rainbow could neautrilize the bad omen. In the past some Murut groups feared the rainbow. They believed the unfriendly spirits were located at each end of the rainbow where it touched the earth. The various coloured were intended to frighten people. Some had the idea that rainbow was associated with snake or dragon. It was claimed that a man once went to cut the rainbow. When he slashed at it with his sword, no visible change occured but a sound like that made by a snake was heard. I remembered my late grandma always scolding us if we pointed to the rainbow. She said the ghost inside angry because they feel not being appreciated. Hehehheee..my late grandma have a lot of story to tells us whenever we 'balik kampung' but now..she gone..and I miss her a lot :-(
The Concept of God
After kinoingan created people and placed them on the earth he saw that they were hungry because they had no food. He went on along journey in search of seeds to plant. While he was away, his wife Suminundu sacrificed their daughter so that the different parts of her body could become the seeds for various crops for example the head for coconut, her flesh for rice, her fingers for ginger, her teeth for maize, her knees for yams, her hair for rambutans, her eyes for mata kucing and so on. It was tradition in Kadazandusun people to believe that the spirits of Ponompunan, known as Bambaazon, lived in the grain of the rice crop. In some versions of this legend the daughter of kinoingan and suminindu is known as Huminodun. Yaki Kaulung was name used by Muruts for the supernatural being they believed in. Prayers were not offered to Yaki Kaulung except in situation if the annual crops were not growing well or it fruits tree were not fruiting, a ceremony was held. A tiny amount of blood was taken from each member of the household by pricking a finger of each individual and the blood was collected in a bowl. Water was added and this was then sprinkled on the crops of fruit trees and Yaki Kaulung was beseeched to provide the goods yields.
The Thunder and Lightning
One theory held in parts of Sabah was thunder and lightning resulted from any case of child abuse. This could happen if a person died and left a child who was cared by another person. If the foster parent struck or scolded the foster child without reason, the the real parent would send down lightning and shout his approval from the sky. Some ideas is if the flash of lightning occurs during fine weather it is a sign that someone has died. The other parts in Sabah belived the caused of thunder and lightning are caused by people who laugh at animals. Some elderly people say that the thunder and lightning are brother and sister. They will become angry if humans being do actions that are very improper.
The Rain
It was belief of some rural people in Sabah that rain consisted of the tears of the spirit of person who had recently died and who felt very sad at having to leave the earth. And others felt that the rain that fell between the death of a person and the end of his funeral was water that would wash away the faults of that person while he was on earth.
The Clouds
Inb one part of Sabah the people say if clouds are moving towards the north, rain will soon come. If the clouds are moving towards the south a dry spell will follow. If there is mackerel sky, that is small clouds very high in the sky look like the scale of fish, some people say that at that period fish are laying their eggs. Spirits that bring illness are lurking about when clouds take on a reddish or orange colour. This type of cloud is known in Murut as bucilou. Emmm..no wonder my parents always shouts us to play inside the house if there is 'awan merah'...
Well..till next time in next chapter..hehehhe...

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