The Kadazandusun Concept of Creation
It said that in the beginning, kinoringan, the god of the Kadazandusuns and his wife suminundu had an only daughter called Luminodun (Huminodun). Kinoringan in his preparation for his creation of the Kadazandusuns sacrificed his only daughter, Luminodun and planted, as if they were seeds, the various parts of her body. Rice then as staple food of the Kadazandusuns (similar to most Asians) grew out of Luminodun’s flesh. Other parts of her body became other varieties of foods for the people. Padi, because it is part of bambarayon (bambaazon). Hence, the Kadazandusuns regard it befitting to hold a yearly feasting celebration to honour Bambarayon during the Kaamatan (Harvest) Festival. In turn the Bambarayon is believed to better the people’s harvests year after year.
The Kadazandusuns as from the Edge of the Earth
Old folks of the Interior Kadazandusuns often relate the legend that their great ancestors or Gulugulu came from some country to the South East edge of the earth which they refer to as PITAS or Tisan do Tana. Obviously, the edge of the earth would be the coastal land by the sea, but no specific names have been memory-recorded to coincide with present map names.
The Legend of Nunuk Ragang
A lucky catch of this generation is the legend that the Kadazandusuns originated from Nunuk Ragang. The approximate location of this place today is at Tampias, a settlement where two rivers (Liwagu and Golibang) meet to the east of Ranau and Tambunan. Nunuk is a Kadazandusuns word for a Banyan Tree.
Ragang comes from the Kadazandusuns word Aragang , which means red. In other words, Nunuk Ragang means Red Banyan Tree. Eventually,
settlement was called Nunuk Ragang after the connotation attached to the banyan tree.
This banyan tree had numerous branches and giant thick foliage and provided for ideal shelters and playground for wild life, birds, insects and even spirits according to local beliefs. When the morning sun rose the Nunuk Ragang settlers would climb to the branches of the Nunuk tree to bask in the sun and enjoy plunging into the great cool river pool below.
It was believed that the roots of the Nunuk tree produced red latex that gave the pool not only the reddish colouration but also its medicinal value. Thus the name Nunuk Ragang.
The early Kadazandusuns community at Nunuk Ragang lived a carefree life, enjoying the abundant supply of food and other basic necessities from the richness of nature that surrounded them. Later, the population increased by leaps and bounds. It became more difficult to get food from nearby. The village Chief then instructed his men into expeditions to look for new suitable settlements. The Kadazandusuns migration movement thus began towards the West to Tambunan, Ranau and beyond to where the Kadazandusuns are found at present. River tributaries became the principal guides to the directions of travelling. The expeditions occurred in groups and therefore had multi-destinations.
The early Kadazandusuns never actually had a name for themselves as a tribal people. Wherever they settled they got named according to the natural significance of the place, be it trees, rivers, landscapes or even peculiar significant occurrences.
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