MURUT

Though being the third largest indigenous group in Sabah little is known about the Murut and even less has been written on them. Once they were feared headhunters, later courageous police in the North Borneo Chartered Company constabulary. But nowadays most Murut have embraced a life closer to towns than to their native jungle in the hinterlands of Sabah. Yet, their ancient and proud life is still full of traditions and festivities in which the Murut show their unparalleled hospitality and rich customs. For this, many of those living in towns and pursuing remunerated employment will go back to their kampung, to their longhouses where their extended families still live according to the rhythm of old, where the year is still ruled by the rice cycle and their hunting expeditions.

The Murut are mainly found in Sabah (Keningau, Tenom, Pensiangan, but also Kalabakan and Kinabatangan), where they account for about 2.9% of her population, or around 50,000 people. Tribes of Murutic origin also live in Brunei, Sarawak and Kalimantan, all in the border area of the three countries. Traditionally the Murut live in longhouses with a unique feature: the lansaran, an indigenous trampoline! The Murut dwellings were built along rivers, and to this day the Murut are expert boat makers and still use the rivers in Sabah’s interior as their main arteries. Because they have lived for generations a rather secluded life they have developed an amazing linguistic diversity, and also wide varieties in dresses and other traditions. One thing, however, is for sure: a hundred years ago they were all avid headhunters and their name still invokes a certain awe amongst other Sabah ethnic entities. Headhunting amongst the Murut was part of their initiation rites: a young man only could get married when he had vanquished his first enemy. If the head came from an enemy or not, that was a different question, rarely asked…