Pangait's Or Songorib

Land of the Head Hunters.

80 years ago Tamparuli was known as the land of the Head Hunter and mainly the local around this area is like or inherit the idea of hunting heads from their ancestor. As a pure local from Tamparuli, we use to call this activity as " Pangait's or Songorib " which apparently related to head hunting activities. My grandfather used to tell me a lot of story about this Pangait's activities many years ago. My Grandfather was one of the core founder and village leader in Kg Kionsom Baru Tamparuli. Kg Kionsom Baru Tamparuli is about 5km to Tamparuli town. 8o years ago there is no establish roads that we seen today, just a small road made by human call " denai " by the local.

Traveler from Kiulu, Tuaran and Ranau is using this Denai to go to Tamparuli for necessity goods such as salt. These traveler, travel 0ne weeks to reach their destination and usually they travel by group of five to ten people at one time. My grandfather and his father originated from Kiulu (Kg Payaoon) and most probably from Tambunan or Ranau. My great grandfather is one of the follower of the legendary "Mat Salleh" who revolt against the North Borneo Company in late 1900s. My great grandfather 7feet tall ( Petrus Gurindau, British Medal, BSK - Bintang Seri Kinabalu ) died in 1986 at the age of 120 years. Some said he might also have joined Albert Kwok horde in fighting the Japanese in World War 2 and was granted a medal from the British Government. His story will be published later after I got strong evidence and proof. Mainly my story will be based from my grandfather word of mouth for this Pangait's article.

My grandfather told me that the Pangait's will wait at the Denai waiting as a predator with a long home made " Sabit ". Sabit is an iron and C shape sharp weapon use to cut off human head. This head hunting activity was a normal activity that had been done almost 200 years ago around the Island of Borneo. If we search through the internet, mostly we find that the "Dayak" used to do this activity but in Sabah it was a normal activity for the local living in Tambunan to Pengsiangan, Tuaran to Ranau and in Tenom and Penampang. The main reason why this head hunter do this activity was for ritual and to show off. The Pangait's believe that the spirit of the head that their got will protected them if they put it inside their house. They used to build a house and put all the heads inside and keep these head as a trophy for their braveness. One example was "Monsopiad House Of Skull" in Penampang and "Sinsuran House of Skull" in Tambunan. In Tamparuli there was no such thing like the Monsopiad or Sinsuran House of Skull but the local just keep the victim head in their own house as life time collection.

If you have heads during that years, you will be respected as a brave person not like this day you will be arrested and put into jail. What a barbaric habit. After World War 2 ends this type of activity was stop constantly and nobody is doing this habit anymore. My grandfather also said to me that if there was bridge to be built the Pangait's will appear again and I think that his story is true but we do not have enough evidence to support this story unless we see it with our own eye. Thanks for the British Government who banned this activity 100 years ago if not a lot of people will be loosing their head now days.

There are many story that my grandfather told me and I just remember this only. Ha... this is a true story and one thing for real, the story happen at Kg Kionsom Baru Tamparuli. One fine evening about 5 0'clock my grandfather travel alone from Kg Kionsom Baru Atas call Pinolobu to Tamparuli to visit his paddy field and came across or by pass the Kg Kionsom Baru center and take a little rest there, suddenly a big man appear with a Sabit and trying to attack my grandfather and in a panic situation my grandfather blow the Pangait's head with his Stephen shotgun. This story happen in the late 1950s and my grandfather is one of the few people got a shotgun. My grandfather shotgun is registered and a valid licence from the British government and he shoot for protecting himself. My grandfather buried the body somewhere beside the Kg Kionsom Baru old cemetery. What a story from my grandfather. My grandfather is still alive and now he live in Kg Kionsom Baru Sook Keningau. He took the Pangait's weapon and continue his journey and never made a police report because he believe that the Pangait's already sign a "Dead Sign" in doing this activity. This is one of the 100 stories that I hear form the old folks from Tamparuli.

Believe it or not it's up to the reader to judge. Luckily this activity is long gone and now we live in civilize world and free from barbaric act. Hopefully nobody will not practice it anymore. Thanks for reading and we will meet again in my next article.

Story: Harry George

Sources: KK Gudoh Gurindau BK, BSK ( Bintang Kinabalu, Bintang Seri Kinabalu )

Picture: Google Image.