Sabah Folklore ~ The Origins of "Nunuk Ragang": Ranau

The group of underground people then stayed in Nunuk Ragang. However, the underground people still believe that the the magical rooster and the elders of Nunuk Ragang still live there. They then take revenge on them at times too, so the underground people continued to devise ways on how to eliminate both of which are considered their enemy. The people of Nunuk Ragang with their elder and the magical rooster was always pursued by these underground people.

After some time, the underground people underground still could not succeed in overcoming the elder leader and the magical rooster of Nunuk Ragang. Finally, the underground men then settled in the area now known as the Tampias, which is in rural areas of the district called Labuk Sugut, Sandakan. It was also told that people from Tampias to this day are not very friendly with the Dusun / Kadazan people from the descendants of Nunuk Ragang.

These underground people are said that they used to be ordinary people, but has been cursed by the gods because they cause to much destruction on earth and they are sent to live in a big hole in the ground. They lived there and breeded after some time until they were released by the by the Nunuk Ragang gentle people.

Feelings of anger and hate by the underground people were endless towards the elder leader and the magical rooster of Nunuk Ragang. This made the magical rooster to fly the elder far into a mountainous region now known as Ranau.

With the magical power of the rooster, it levelled the land with its muddy feet and wings, persistently made that place a land to live in. Since then, the area is muddy taken after its original state, then named 'Ranau' meaning 'mud' in the Dusun / Kadazan language.

Adapted from: Taha Abdul Kadir. Cerita Tradisi Sabah. Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia : Pelanduk Publications (M) Sdn. Bhd. 1985. m/s 1-9.

Photo courtesy: http://upload.wikimedia.org, pkgranau.edublogs.org