page_title: Rungus people
section_title: Longhouses
hierarchical_section_title: Rungus people / Longhouses
caption_attribution_description: English: This is a giant-sized bubu ikan (fish trap) made of bamboo by the Rungus people in Kudat, Sabah in Borneo. I inquired as to its purpose, and the tribesman guiding us replied that it is not actually for catching fish, but used symbolically when a couple is caught fornicating, they are placed inside this bubu ikan and thrown into the ocean, presumably to die. Asked if it was considered a death sentence, the guide replied that it should be considered "punishment" rather than "execution".
context_page_description: The Momogun Rungus are an ethnic group of Borneo, residing primarily in northern Sabah in the area surrounding Kudat. A sub-group of the Kadazan-Dusun, they have a distinctive language, dress, architecture, customs, and oral literature.
context_section_description: Considered one of the most traditional ethnic groups in Sabah, many Momogun Rungus live in longhouses, with each family having its own separate quarters off a common hall. At the edge of the communal hall, a well-ventilated platform of split bamboo with outward sloping walls provides a place for socialising and communal work. The Rungus longhouse is quite different from the Murut longhouse. The houses are not perched on high stilts, but are usually only three to five feet above ground. The roof is low, and the walls are outward sloped. In olden times, longhouses of over 75 doors are said to have been common. Now, they rarely exceed 10 doors. Usually single story, more modern two-story versions of the longhouse also exist. Single-family houses are sometimes built near the longhouse – these take the same form, but are curiously short, looking like a slice from a cake.
caption: A large ceremonial bumbu ikan (fish trap) in a Rungus village in Kudat, Sabah in Borneo. A longhouse can be seen in the background, with distinct outward-sloped walls.
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