Sabah Folklore ~ The Nose Flute

The nose flute of the Tuahi originated since the time of our forefathers. It is played by bringing the flute to the nose and gently breathing air into it. The flute then makes a similar sound to that of any flute but still the sound is quite distinctive. The nose flute is played to inform others of the passing away of another. This is the story of how the nose flute came to be.

          A long time ago, all our ancestors lived together at the foot of a mountain. They built their homes on higher levels and used the lower levels or valleys to farm. They planted hill rice, onions, vegetables and many others. Over time, the Kadazan race grew popolus. There were few land left for farming and food had become scarce. Very soon, there was no farming land left or even land to build homes.

One day, a family decided to move away and look for their own living. The name of the father in the family was Olu’ and his wife’s name was Tindai. They had only one child, a boy whose name was Otu. Otu’ was still a very young boy when he moved away with this parent. Olu’ and Tindai found a suitable place to settle down and started cultivating their plot of land for rice and other vegetable plants.        

         

 They lived in their new home for ten year without ever having gone back for a visit. It was a great distance away and there were no roads that led them back to where they had came from. Furthermore, Olu’ and Tindai were also afraid to make ther journey back because there were headhunters round about the area.

Olu’ and Tindai were now old in their ade. One day, Olu’ died. With that, life grew lonely for both Tindai and Otu’. Out’, who used to go hunting and fishing with his father, had to hunt all by himself. Tindai herself was also growing older and soon she felt her time to die growing nearer. She began to give final instructions to Out’. She told him of many things regarding with their culture and aso advive on how he should manage when he was on his own later.

         

 Not so long after that, Tindai died. Otu’ was to overcome by the grief when he realised that he had now lost both of his parents. He felt completely alone by himself. Otu’ wondered how he could express his sadness over his mother’s death. Because he was a man, he was not allowed to weep for this will brings disaster into one’s household. Otu’ continued to think about this when he saw a stand of thing bamboo in the area around his house. Suddenly, he had an idea. He took a piece of the bamboo and started smoothening it. He then made small holes in the bamboo stick. Very soon, the piece of bamboo in his hands turned into a flute. 

          

He brought the flute to his nose and breathed out into the holes of the bamboo and a nice tune came out. He adjusted the bamboo carefully breathed out into the holes again. The flute made a plaintive and mournful tune.Otu’ did not stop playing the flute because he thought, “This is the only way I can express my grief for you, Mother.” 

The music from his flute went out from the house and was heard by people in the neighbouring village. They were amazed to hear it because they had never heard any other sound quite like it before. 

The people from the villages went out from their homes to have a look for the source of the sound. They looked hard for it until they came to the very doorstep of Otu’. There they saw his mother, Tindai, who was still unburied. 

From this came the tradition of the Kadazan people, to use the nose flute to convey news that someone has departed from this world.

 (Courtesy from: www.sabah.edu.my)