Death Rituals of the Kadazandusun
Written by Merrylove Glory Albert | Edited by Shireen Ali & Atalia Mae Jaua | Published for the Komuhakan Movement
While conventionally seen as a solemn occasion, death represents one of the most significant rites of passage in Kadazandusun culture. In Kadazandusun tradition, souls of the deceased are carried away by the sacred spirits of Mount Kinabalu to rest on its peak. The sorrow following the passing of a loved one is thought to afflict illness and further tragedy onto the grieving family, so rituals are performed and taboos observed to avoid misfortune. The Bobolian or Bobohizan (priestess) holds an imperative role in bringing balance between the living and the dead, bridging the two during the ritual of Monogit- literally ‘to pay compensation.’ Monogit is perceived as an act to ‘cool the spiritual heat’ invoked by immoral deeds that violate Kadazandusun norms.
When death besets the community, locals are notified with the strike of a gong or a blast of the tungkobong (bamboo cannons). Dunsai music, played on gongs, announces the passing to both the physical world and spiritual domain. In the aftermath of death, residents within the area are strictly barred from carrying out labour — especially planting paddy — as it is regarded to result in poor productivity and sickness. Should this be disobeyed, ritual compensation known widely as Sogit must be fulfilled to pay respects to the dead and the family of the deceased.
The Kadazandusun tradition surrounding death involves processes of partitioning the deceased’s spirit with the world of the living and cleansing rites to rid the bereaved family of evil spirits. While these customs are generally shared across the Kadazandusun ethnic groups in terms of both method and purpose, variations exist between communities: for example, the Dusun people in Ranau practice rituals more meticulous than those of the Kadazan people in Penampang. Nevertheless, modern religious influences (such as Christianity) have led to a palpable decrease in adherence to ceremonial Kadazandusun death rites. Our discussion will focus primarily on the death rituals and taboos among the Kadazandusun people of Ranau and Penampang.
The organisation of the article follows the flow chart below. We will first look at Kadazandusun death customs in order, starting with Modtudau (the wake) before examining the taboos observed following death. Observations of how modern religious influences have changed the traditions surrounding death within the Kadazandusun community will be interwoven throughout our discussion.
Modtudau (The Wake)
Modtudau (the wake) requires the bereaved family to observe vigil and watch over the departed to ensure animals — namely black cats — do not jump over the body of the deceased for fear of the dead coming back to life with the intention of killing those within the household. In addition, to protect the body from being carried away by evil spirits conjured in the form of birds, clothes are hung around the cadaver to simulate human figures.
As family members are not allowed to fall asleep until after the burial ceremony, common methods to stay awake include playing cards or drinking tapai. Chinese influences, such as gambling and drinking, have been assimilated into the Kadazandusun communities in Penampang and Papar as part of activities taken part in during the wake.
Momolobong (The Burial)
Kadazandusun burial traditions have gone through many phases of change and adaptation. In the olden days, when a member of the Tangaah Kadazan community (Kadazan people of Penampang) passed away, funerary rites commenced with covering the body of the deceased in a finely woven cloth about twelve by seven feet wide called a bahu- literally ‘place of the dead’ in the Tangaah Kadazan language. Thought to be derived from the same word, Kinabahu — better known to us as Kinabalu — refers to the mountain wherein spirits and the dead reside.
Excavations conducted by the Archeological Department of the Sabah State Museum through the years 2006–2008 unearthed three 19th century urns containing human remains and valuables in Kg. Pogunon, Penampang, providing evidence for the burial rites of early native settlers. From the early 15th century to the late 19th century, the Kadazandusun people would bury the dead inside a tajau (urn), though such burial was generally only affordable to members of richer families.
To prepare for the burial, the body of the deceased is adorned with fine clothing while the urn is fitted with luxurious items including jewellery, belts, plates, and garments to serve as personal effects into the next life. The Bobolian chants the rinait as the body is placed in the tajau, which would have been cut in half beforehand to ease the inurnment process. The sealed tajau is then interred in a tomb, and a hut built over the burial ground.
In Kadazandusun lore, the spirit of the dead drifts to Mount Kinabalu after all relevant rituals are completed as heaven is believed to be located at its peak. The tajau, being the departed’s final resting place, shelters the wandering spirit from the cold climate of the sacred mountain.
As Kadazandusun society embraced Christianity, the popularity of old-time burial traditions- such as tajau interment and bahu cloth ceremonies- diminished while conventional wooden coffin burials took prominence. In accordance with Christian funeral practices, the family of the deceased holds masses at church and prays before the burial. At this time, a crucifix and a portrait of the departed are placed beside the coffin.
Once lowered into the grave, close family members step on and begin throwing earth onto the coffin, with other relatives and friends following suit. The earth-throwing ritual is an act of farewell, signifying permanent separation of the deceased from the physical world. As family and friends retire from the burial service, they are prohibited from looking back towards the grave for fear of the spirit of the deceased coming home with them.
Mogihad (The Wailing)
Mogihad is still commonplace amongst Kadazandusun elders. The mogihad wails and cries beside the body of the deceased as an expression of grief and respect and laments the death with sorrowful sentiments to the departed, impelling others to mourn with them.
Family members may also perform Mogihad by crying out loudly while striking objects (such as gongs, tajau, or the floor) as a sign of anger towards evil spirits for bringing death upon the household. Such custom may be derived from an early, now outmoded form of Mogihad: as traditional Kadazandusun houses were raised above ground by the support of pillars, relatives of the departed would bash and break the floor to allow the body of the deceased to fall through and land on the ground. Wherever the cadaver landed was deemed to be the deceased’s final resting place. Causing undesirable damage to homes, this variation of Mogihad eventually fell out of use as time progressed.
Momisok and Papaakan (To Switch Off the Lights and to Offer a Meal)
The Momisok ritual, meaning ‘to switch the lights off,’ is one of the most widely practiced ceremonies in today’s Kadazandusun community.
Held twice on the eve of the 7th day after the death — once during the hours of sunset and once more at midnight — Momisok entails all lights being switched off to plunge the observing house into darkness. Papaakan is performed as an invitation for the spirit of the deceased to feast: the departed’s favourite dish is served on a table (acting as an altar) along with wine and a lit candle- the darkness provided by Momisok presents a tranquil atmosphere for the spirit to indulge in peace.
By calling on the departed for a meal and allowing them to reclaim personal belongings for passage into the other realm, Momisok and Papaakan are thought of as the final time contact is to be made with the deceased. In contrast, Christian Kadazandusuns will only place a crucifix and other religious ornaments beside the portrait of the deceased in place of the food altar we would see in Papaakan.
Present during the Momisok and Papakaan rituals is the Bobolian or Bobohizan, who acts as a guide to escort the spirit of the departed into the world of the dead by chanting the inait and performing a rite. To observe the movement of visiting spirits, trays filled with wood ash are placed on the floor or powder would be laid by doorways. During the ritual, occupants of the house are expected to remain silent amidst the darkness, regardless of whatever may happen. In Kadazandusun belief, this ritual signifies the deceased’s last chance to communicate with family members before fully transitioning into the spirit world, never to return again and disturb the living.
Mogukas
The day after Momisok and Papaakan, Mogukas is held by the Kadazan people of Penampang. Believed to bring misfortune to the family of the deceased, lingering malevolent spirits manifesting as ‘dirt’ or ‘heat’ are expelled by the Bobolian. Items associated with the concluded burial rites are cleansed by the Bobolian, before specific prayers are incanted to aid the spirit of the departed on its journey. As the spirit of the deceased will only remain on Earth for one week, bereaved family and friends gather on the 7th day after the death to feast as a symbolic farewell.
In lieu of the feast, buffaloes and goats are customarily slaughtered to accompany the spirit of the departed into the next world and serve as symbols of wealth — the slaughter of buffaloes occurs before the burial, while that of goats takes place during Mogukas. Buffaloes are also thought of as the vehicle by which the spirit is ferried into the hereafter.
Personal effects of the deceased are set alight to adequately equip the traveling spirit entering the next life, as spirits arriving without proper goods are presumed to come from poor families and are subsequently ridiculed by other inhabitants of the spirit realm.
The Dusun community in Ranau performs similar rituals under different names: Porundun, literally meaning ‘animal slaughtering,’ and Mongokoriu referring to the burning of the departed’s belongings. Instead of buffaloes or goats, chickens are slaughtered and plated as meals to visitors — the number of animals sacrificed denotes the abundance of riches carried by the deceased into the next world.
Popotongkiad or Momopus (To Separate; to End)
The separation of the dead from the living is fundamental to the Kadazandusun. Popotongkiad or Momopus ensues on the third day after the death by the Dusun people of Ranau to ensure the spirit of the deceased does not return to the land of living lest illness and catastrophe befall the community. In the event where the deceased is a child, the ritual is performed on both parents; where the deceased was wedded, the widow would promptly undergo Popotongkiad do Puod to diminish the harmful puod (malevolent spirit).
Had the one who passed been a farmer, Mangangkib — literally ‘to give’ — is carried out: an immediate family member goes to the departed’s paddy field to accord parts of the land and crops to the spirit of the deceased to bring along into the afterlife. Tababasan do Sunsuion (‘to break the bridge’) is carried out on the same day to sever the spiritual connection between the realm of the living and the dead.
Magauh om Momotomou (Ritual of Cleansing Using Ash and Green Leaves)
After detachment of the dead from the living is completed, cleansing rituals instantly follow suit. Commonly, the cleanse begins on the first day of death; however, the 7th and 10th days after death hold most significance to the Dusun people of Ranau.
Widely assumed to be one of many objects immensely feared by evil spirits, Tauh- green leaves wrapped around ash and sisiud- are hung on doorways and fruitful trees. A malevolent entity is said to be present when fruit from a tree in which Tauh dangles falls to the ground.
The Bobolian utilises Silau and Bidau, specific types of plant resembling weeds as the ponopu (broom) during the cleansing of family members before chanting the rinait. The souls of those in attendance of the funeral service are believed to have been stolen by an evil spirit named Hozob, hence Moninong do Sunduan (‘to summon the spirit’) takes place to restore the spirits of the family to avoid falling ill. Similarly, the Dusun people carry out Monoduli do Ginawo di Soninmiau (literally ‘restoring the spirit of the living’) on the 10th day after death. The spirit of the dead is requested to no longer return- not even in dreams- to enable the bereaved family to move on and live habitually.
Humontok
The separation of the spirit of the dead from the world of the living is known as Humontok to the Kadazan people of Penampang. Traditionally, Humontok must be carried out within several weeks after death. As more of the Kadazan community adopted Christianity, the ritual is contemporarily viewed as optional, depending on the wishes of the family and availability of specialists. Usually, two Bobohizan will be present to conduct Humontok, one being a senior priestess and the other, an apprentice.
Humontok is divided into two: in each part, both Bobohizan play distinct roles in reciting the inait and purifying the household. The senior Bobohizan summons the spirit of the dead, while her apprentice beseeches the Hozob (evil entity) present to liberate and restore the souls of those who had been in attendance of the funeral service to ward off illness.
In the course of Humontok, all equipment employed during the funeral service are cleansed after having been exposed to ‘dirt’ (manifestation of malevolent spirits). Acting as the medium, the elder Bobohizan channels the final words of the departed to the living family: words of counsel, divulgence of family secrets, or wishes for the family to resolve affairs the deceased was unable to fulfill in life.
However, observance of Humontok has decreased within the Kadazan populace due to its contradiction with teachings of the Catholic Church, as well as the declining number of masterful Bobohizan capable to lead the ritual.
Taboos during mourning
As soon as death falls upon the family and Mopuod (mourning) begins, customary taboos must immediately be obeyed. The widowed spouse, especially obliged to heed such taboos, must not visit the homes of other relatives or friends for the first seven days of Mopuod. To maintain vigil next to the recently departed, widows are forbidden from carrying out certain tasks: for example, holding brooms. In terms of meal restrictions, food items deemed to be ‘itchy,’ such as bamboo shoots, vegetables, and seafood, are firmly avoided.
On the day of the burial, the recently widowed performs Mamahakoi by visiting another living widow/widower. Before the body of the departed is carried out from their former residence, the bereaved spouse leaves their shared home in the company of another widow/widower, only to return once the body of the deceased has been removed.
Other members of the community are required to adhere to death taboos to avoid dire straits. During Mopuod, all sorts of merrymaking are forbidden, even in terms of displays of emotion: family members of the departed are expected to portray sorrowful expressions to preserve decorum. Leading up the final cleansing rituals (Humontok for residents of Penampang or Popotongkiad/Momupus for residents in Ranau), family members must not trim their hair or fingernails, and must wash their feet before entering the residence of the deceased.
Visiting others prior to the aforementioned cleansing is considered a violation of the taboos in place, and must be compensated with remittance of sogit to the owner of the visited residence. Immediately after the burial ceremony, relatives must bathe as soon as practical.
Incorporation of Religious Practice into Traditional Rituals
Paganism and Animism were common amongst the Kadazan and Dusun peoples before the Christian proselytising efforts of Christian Missionaries began during the rule of the British North Borneo Company. Conversion to Christianity did not necessarily result in a complete breakaway from indigenous Kadazandusun culture, rather an abandonment of customs now deemed archaic and obsolete. Traditional beliefs, such as the existence of other worldly spirits and corresponding spiritual ceremonies, are still honoured in modern Kadazandusun society.
Holding prayers or masses at church is visibly one of the most notable incorporations of modern religion into Kadazandusun death customs. Christians ordinarily conduct nightly rosary prayers for seven days from the day of death, with special prayers heard on the 40th and 100th day. In accordance with Christian credo, Christian Kadazandusuns hold funeral services at church, during which the coffin of the deceased remains open for friends and family to pay their final respects before being permanently sealed with the priest’s blessing. Nonetheless, a handful of Christians forego church masses and instead perform short prayers at home or at the graveyard under the care of a catechist or priest. A crucifix is placed on top of the grave, and a small hut will be built afterwards to avoid vandals damaging the grave.
In addition, Christian influences are seen in contemporary variations of Momisok and Papaakan, wherein portraits, crucifixes, and rosary beads replace food and wine offerings. A result of syncretization with ancestral practices, such modern rituals are widely observed by the Kadazandusun people of today. While the Catholic Church is not against services with the intention to honour the deceased, ceremonies such as Humontok are disallowed as Christians are prohibited from the invocation of spirits.
Conclusion
Seemingly rigid and impassive on the surface, Kadazandusun death rituals are in actuality demonstrations to commemorate the departed and remind Kadazandusuns to accept death as part of what it means to be human. In contemporary society, only a small number of these traditions are still observed — namely the concept of an afterlife, the existence of heaven and hell, as well as some performative rituals — as part of cultural heritage. Indigenous Kadazandusun customs dating back to early ancestors, including native rituals, superstition, and the once highly respected title of Bobohizan/Bobolian are sadly becoming things of the past. Documenting our traditions is crucial in the effort to preserve Kadazandusun culture. Even though some practices may become obsolete over time, it is imperative our history and heritage remain timeless for generations to come.
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Photo Credits
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