Death and rites among the Kadazan Penampang of Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia. Borneo Research Journal, 9. pp. 95-113. ISSN 2600-8645 (2015)
Abstract
The funeral is the third most important rite of passage in the life of the Kadazan of Penampang, Sabah. An integral part of the funerary rites is playing the traditional gong musical ensemble called dunsai, which is played during the funeral. The gongs were traditionally beaten according to this particular sombre rhythm to announce to the spirit world the death and the pending arrival of a new member, and to the secular world that death has occurred and due preparations had to be made. Dunsai music is especially significant as only six hanging gongs without the drum are used. These days the Dunsai is widely recognized as the funerary music of the Kadazan Penampang, and is played during the wake and on the sixth day after the burial. This paper documents the traditional observances of the funerary rites featuring the Dunsai music based on the ancestral animistic beliefs of the Kadazan of the Kg. Kituau, Penampang, Sabah. It also attempts to show these funerary rites as a continuing cultural symbol of the Kadazan Penampang identity that transcends the past and present beliefs since many members of the community now subscribe to other faiths.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | Kadazandusun, Rite of passage, Gong music, Dunsai |
| Taxonomy: | By Niche > Ethnology > Kadazan Dusun (Bornean people) > Rites and Ceremonies By Niche > Ethnology > Kadazan Dusun (Bornean people) > Social Conditions By Niche > Ethnology > Kadazan Dusun (Bornean people) > Social Life and Customs |
| Local Content Hub: | Niche > Kadazan-Dusun |
| Depositing User: | Asrizam Awang Aman |
| Date Deposited: | 13 Sep 2024 07:13 |
| Last Modified: | 13 Sep 2024 07:13 |
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