Dear all, lovely readers.
First, there was nothing but Kinoingan and Suminundu .
Together, they created man and the universe, the earth, and everything seen and
unseen, known and unknown.
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| "Malaysian’s work of art fetches RM117,000 at Christie’s" The Star, Monday 26 May 2008, under Southeast Asian Modern and Contemporary Art. One of Yee I-Lann's "Kinabalu series, Huminodun explores the eroded spiritual power of a Kadazandusun woman and her shifting relationship to her land. |
In the beginning, all was well in the Heavens,
and the world was pure and beautiful. But one day, Ponompulan, Kinoingan’s son,
rebelled against his divine father, and he corrupted the hearts and minds of
the humans on earth.
Disappointed and angry, Kinoingan banished Ponompulan from
the Heavens and cast him to Kolungkud . Then, to punish
mankind for their sinful ways, Kinoingan sent seven plagues. The last plague
was a severe draught, and famine threatened to destroy every living being on
earth.
But at last, the people on earth realised their
sin, and turned back to Kinoingan, to ask for forgiveness. Ponompuan, Kinoingan’s only
daughter, entreated her father’s mercy to forgive the people of the world and
consented to Kinoingan's proposal that she be sacrificed, as a
symbol of the greatest love of all.
Kinoingan sacrificed His only daughter so that the people could have
food. Her body parts were planted as seeds and became the food resource of the
world: rice. Ponompuan’s spirit dwells in the paddy, and is the seven-in-one Bambaazon (Bambarayon),
the spirit of the paddy. Red rice is the most sacred of all, because it was
from the flesh of Ponompuan.
Ponompuan, who is often called Huminodun, is in essence the
soul of the paddy. During harvesting time, the Bobohizans (Bobolians)
usher the seven-in-one soul of Bambaazon to dwell in the Tangkob (Toguruon),
at home, until the next planting season is due.
Bambaazon is embodied in every part of the paddy and its related
products. During the course of its seasons it is inevitable that the paddy is
damaged, be it naturally, unintentionally, innocently or through abuse and
neglect. Also, during the harvest itself, parts of the spiritual components of Bambaazon are
separated. Thus, it is of utmost importance that immediately after the harvest Bambaazon’s dispersed
mystical spirits are collected by the spiritual specialists, brought home,
re-united, healed and appeased.
The Bobohizans perform the Magavau, Modsuut and Humabot Ceremonies,
travelling though the different levels of the spiritual world to rescue the
severed and strayed Bambaazon. Whole again, Bambaazon will
ensure that the next harvest is equally bountiful.
To thank Kinoingan for Bambaazon’s gift
of a good harvest, the Pesta Ka’amatan (Harvest Festival) is held. The Kadazans forgive
each other, restore and strengthen peace and harmony – not only on a worldly
level, but also between nature and the spiritual world – and play the gongs,
sing songs and dance to the ancient rhythm of life.
To commemorate the greatest love of all,
Kinoingan’s sacrifice of His only daughter, the Kadazans idolise Huminodun and
select the Unduk Ngadau in order to remember that Ponompuan was
perfect: she was of total beauty of the heart, mind soul and body.
Sources: A text by Benedict Topin (Kadazandusun
Cultural Association), and with excerpts from ‘Traditional Stone and
Wood Monuments of Sabah’, by Peter R Phelan
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| A photo of Dianni Murni Kayar (Malaysia Airlines Stewardess/Unduk Ngadau Queen) portraying Huminodun. |
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