Echoes of the gong: Kaamatan and the soul of Sabah
COMMENT | Each year, as May draws to a close, the gentle rhythm of the gong echoes through Sabah's valleys and hills, heralding the Kaamatan festival - a time of harvest, gratitude, and deep cultural reflection among the Kadazandusun-Murut-Rungus (KDMR) communities.
Kaamatan, traditionally held at the end of the padi harvesting season, was once a village-scale celebration to give thanks to Bambarayon, the rice spirit.
Today, while festivities are larger and more modern, the soul of the festival remains intact, especially for Christians like Mariati Bakait, an ethnic Kadazandusun who hails from Ranau.
'Kaamatan isn't just about merrymaking. It's about honouring the sacrifice that gave us life, like Huminodun's,' said the school teacher, referring to the mythic maiden who gave her body to restore life to the land during a great famine.
'Her story still teaches us what love and courage really mean,' Mariati tells Malaysiakini.
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