Ref: My late grandfather, Guduh Gurindow & My Brother Mr Harry George
- Not everyone knows about the existence of Head Hunters
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| My Tiktok link: History of Tamparuli Sabah |
About 100 years ago, Tamparuli was known as the land of the Head Hunters. The locals inherited the tradition of headhunting from their ancestors. As a native of Tamparuli, we called this activity "Pangait" or "Songorib," which were terms related to headhunting. My grandfather used to share many stories about these activities from years ago. He was one of the founding members and a village leader in Kg Kionsom Baru Tamparuli, which is about 5km from Tamparuli town. Back then, there were no established roads like we have today, just small paths made by humans, known locally as "denai."
Travelers from Kiulu, Tuaran, and Ranau used these denai to reach Tamparuli for essential goods like salt. These journeys took about a week, and travelers usually moved in groups of five to ten people. My grandfather and his father originally came from Kiulu (Kg Payaoon) and possibly from Tambunan or Ranau. My great-grandfather was a follower of the legendary Mat Salleh, who revolted against the North Borneo Company in the late 1900s. Standing at 7 feet tall, my great-grandfather, Petrus Gurindau, received the British Medal and the Bintang Seri Kinabalu. He passed away in 1986 at the age of 120. Some say he might have also joined Albert Kwok's horde in fighting the Japanese during World War II and was awarded a medal by the British Government. His story will be published later once I gather more evidence and proof. For now, my story is based on my grandfather's accounts of the Pangait activities.
My grandfather told me that the Pangait would wait along the denai like predators, armed with long homemade sabits. A sabit is an iron, C-shaped sharp weapon used to decapitate human heads. This headhunting activity was common around the Island of Borneo about 200 years ago. While the Dayak people are often associated with this practice, in Sabah, it was also common among locals living in Tambunan, Pengsiangan, Tuaran, Ranau, Tenom, and Penampang. The main reasons for headhunting were ritualistic and to show off. The Pangait believed that the spirits of the heads they collected would protect them if kept inside their houses. They would build houses to display these heads as trophies of their bravery. Examples include the Monsopiad House of Skulls in Penampang and the Sinsuran House of Skulls in Tambunan. In Tamparuli, there were no such houses, but locals kept the heads in their homes as lifetime collections.
During those years, having heads meant being respected as a brave person. Today, such actions would lead to arrest and imprisonment. What a barbaric habit! After World War II, this activity was gradually stopped, and no one practices it anymore. My grandfather also mentioned that if a bridge were to be built, the Pangait would reappear. I believe his story, but we lack enough evidence to support it unless we see it with our own eyes. Thanks to the British Government for banning this activity 100 years ago; otherwise, many people would be losing their heads nowadays.
There are many stories my grandfather told me, but this one stands out. One fine evening around 5 o'clock, my grandfather was traveling alone from Kg Kionsom Baru Atas, called Pinolobu, to Tamparuli to visit his paddy field. He passed through Kg Kionsom Baru center and took a little rest there. Suddenly, a big man appeared with a sabit and tried to attack my grandfather. In a panic, my grandfather shot the Pangait in the head with his Stephen shotgun. This incident happened in the late 1950s, and my grandfather was one of the few people who owned a shotgun. His shotgun was registered and had a valid license from the British government, and he used it to protect himself. My grandfather buried the body somewhere beside the old cemetery in Kg Kionsom Baru. What a story from my grandfather! He lives in Kg Kionsom Baru Sook Keningau, Unfortunately, my grandfather passed away in 2011. He took the Pangait's weapon and continued his journey, never making a police report because he believed the Pangait had already signed a "Dead Sign" by engaging in this activity. This is just one of the 100 stories I've heard from the old folks in Tamparuli.
