Supernatural Elements in Tangon and Their Connection with Ethnic Ranau Dusun Beliefs

(Unsur-unsur Keajaiban dalam Tangon dan Perkaitannya dengan Konteks Kepercayaan Etnik Dusun di Ranau)

  • Steefi Yalim Universiti Malaysia Sabah
  • Kok On Low Universiti Malaysia Sabah

Abstract

Storytelling (monusui) is an oral tradition handed down from generation to generation among the Dusun ethnic group in Sabah. In the past, the narration of tangon (folktales) was a form of entertainment and an informal medium of education for the Dusun ethnic. A total of 44 tangon were successfully collected during fieldworks conducted in the state of Ranau. On examining the 44 tangon, 13 were found to be stories that contain supernatural elements or elements of magic. Among these are phenomena such as "humans being resurrected", "humans giving birth to animals", "humans morphing into birds", and many more. These elements in tangon are the result of its creator's imagination and creativity. The issue here is that if these elements are not analysed and highlighted, we will not be able to comprehend the imagination, creativity, and beliefs of the previous generations. The result of the analysis by way of interpretation of these supernatural elements in tangon shows that the Ranau Dusun ethnic group had a rich imagination and a great deal of creativity in conceiving these magical elements. In addition, their beliefs, which were part of the Ranau Dusun practices in the past, were also inserted in tangon.


Keywords: Magic in tangon, Ranau Dusun, creativity, supernatural elements, beliefs

Author Biographies

Steefi Yalim, Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Faculty of Humanities, Arts & Heritage, University Malaysia Sabah
Kok On Low, Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Faculty of Humanities, Arts & Heritage, University Malaysia Sabah

References

Aarne, Thompson & Uther (ATU). http://www.mftd.org/index. Accessed on 5 July 2019.

Adnand Rahmadi. (2016). 1200 fakta unik mitologi dunia. Elex Media Komputindor.

Arena Wati. (1978). Dusun. Kota Kinabalu: Penerbitan Yayasan Sabah.

Bascom, William. (1954). Four functions of folklore. The Journal of American Folklore, 67(266), 333-349.

Daerah Ranau. (2011). http://ww2.sabah.gov.my/pd.rnu/sejarah.html. Accessed on 8 August 2016.

Daerah Ranau. (2011). (http://ww2.sabah.gov.my/pd.rnu/desacattle.html). Accessed on 8 August 2016.

Debes, M., Lewandowska, A., and Seitz, J. (2005). Definition and implementation of context information. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jochen_Seitz3/publication/228938094_
Definition… Accessed on 31 August 2019.

Dundes, Alan. (1980). Interpreting folklore. Bloomington & London: Indiana University Press.

Evans. I.H.N. (1953). The religion of the Tempasuk Dusuns of North Borneo. Cambridge University Press.

Fung Lan Yong. (1996). The Dusun world beliefs and customs handed down today. Borneo Post.

Godfrey, Linda S. (2009). Mythical creature. New York: Chelsea House Publishers: An Imprint of Infobase Publishing.

Gallus, Clarice & Low Kok On. (2016). Tangon Dusun Liwan: Satu Analisis Tema. Gendang Alam, 6, 27-54.

Hamiddun Udin. (1991). Masyarakat Kadazan/Dusun di Daerah Ranau: Kajian identiti dan interaksi antara agama. Jabatan Antroprologi & Sosiologi, Universiti Malaya.

Harun Mat Piah. (2003). Sastera rakyat Malaysia, Indonesia, Negara Brunei Darussalam: Suatu Perbandingan. Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.

Harun Mat Piah. (2006). Kesusasteraan Melayu tradisional. Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.

Harryizman Harun dan Zulikha Jamludin, (2013). Folktale conceptual model based on folktale classification system of type, motive and function. Universiti Utara Malaysia.

Ismail Hamid. (2001). Perkembangan kesusasteraan Melayu lama. Selangor: Pearson Education Malaysia Sdn Bhd.

Kinabalu Magazine. (1953). Ranau village fair. Jeselton Lo Kwock Chuen: n.p.

Komiboros Dictionary Kamus Dusun Melayu-Dusun-English. (2014). Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Komik Publication.

Krappe, Alexander H. (1944). Animal children. California Folklore Quaterly, 3(1), 45-52. Western States Folklore Society.

Lindell, Kristina. (1984). Kammu Totem tales. Asian Folklore Studies, 43(1), 3-13.

Low Kok On. (2005). Membaca mitos dan legenda Kadazandusun. Bangi: Penerbit UKM

Low Kok On. (2006). Reading symbols and mythical landscape in the "Tambunan Dusun Origin Myth" of North Borneo. International Journal of Asia Pacific Studies, 2(2), 29-50.

Low Kok On & Lee Yok Fee. (2012). Investigating the relationship between Kadazandusun beliefs about paddy spirits, riddling in harvest-time and paddy-related Sundait. MALIM: Southeast Asia Journal of General Studies, 13, 65-93.

Low Kok On & Sri Ningsih. (2013). Pandangan Dunia dan Konteks Upacara dalam Sumazau Penampang, Sazau Papar dan Sumazau Paina Membakut/ (Word View and Ritual Context of the Sumazau Penampang, Sazau Papar dan Sumazau Paina Membakut Dance). Jurnal Akademika, 83(2&3): 47-59.

Low Kok On. (2014). Superioriti rakyat dalam lelucon cerita Abu Nawas Asal dan Cerita Abu Nawas Versi Sabah. Melayu: Jurnal Antarabangsa Dunia Melayu, 7(2), 152-171.

Low Kok On dan Azlan Shafie. (2014). Bbahul dan Hubungannya dengan Kepercayaan Bbiruhui Etnik Rungus. Jurnal Kemanusian, 21(1), 73-102.

Normadiah Nassir, Low Kok On, Ismail Ibrahim and Supyan Hussin. (2017). Unsur Kepercayaan dan Kearifan Tempatan dalam Memorat Perubatan Tradisional Etnik Murut Tahol di Sabah. KEMANUSIAAN: The Asian Journal of Humanities, 24(2), 59-88.

Othman Puteh dan Aripin Said. (2008). 366 cerita rakyat Malaysia. Utusan Publications & Distributor Sdn Bhd.

Pugh-Kitingan, J. (2012). Kadazan Dusun. Kuala Lumpur: Institut Terjemahan & Buku Malaysia.

Sektor Penternakan Lembu Tenusu. (2016). http://ww2.sabah.gov.my/pd.rnu/desacattle.html Accessed on 8 August 2016.

Shamsuddin Kasim. (1963). Menilik kembali sastera rakyat kita. Dewan Bahasa, 7(12), 533.

Shapiro, Marianne. (1983). Perseus and Bellerophon in "Orlando Furioso". Modern Philology, 81(2), 109-130.

Syed Abdullah bin Syed Sulaiman. (2011). Tradisi lisan: Satu penilaian semula. TENIAT: International Journal of Creative Futures and Heritage, 1(1), 195-205.

Taha Abd. Kadir. (1985). Cerita tradisi Sabah. Petaling Jaya: Pelanduk Publishing.

Uther, Hans-Jorg. (2009). Classifying tales: Remarks to index and systems of ordering. Academy of Science, Arbeitsstelle Enzyklopedia des Marchens, Gottingen.
Published
2019-12-05
How to Cite
YALIM, Steefi; LOW, Kok On. Supernatural Elements in Tangon and Their Connection with Ethnic Ranau Dusun Beliefs. Malay Literature, [S.l.], v. 32, n. 2, p. 185-206, dec. 2019. ISSN 2682-8030. Available at: <https://jurnal.dbp.my/index.php/MalayLiterature/article/view/6065>. Date accessed: 29 mar. 2024. doi: https://doi.org/10.37052/ml.32(2)no2.