Magunatip, the Warrior Dance of Borneo Headhunters

Story: Also known as Bamboo Dance, in tradition, Magunatip was performed as a victorious dance when Murut warriors return from a headhunting raid. The dancers follow the music tempo to place their feet in and out of clapping bamboo poles in right timing (to avoid the painful clip). Murut people are no longer headhunter today, so bamboo dance is mainly performed in cultural functions and celebrations for entertainment. More about this dance: The Anggalang and Magunatip are traditional dances of the Murut people, most of whom reside in the interior region of Sabah. Apart from many of the Murut groups, the Magunatip is also performed by other indigenous ethnic tribes including the Kadazandusun of Tambunan and the Kwijau Dusun of Keningau. Magunatip is derived from the word atip, meaning “to press between two surfaces.“ Those daring enough to take part in this pulsating dance must possess the skill and agility in jumping and putting their feet between the clapping bamboo poles without being trapped. The performance often begins with a solo male dancer performing the mahihialang while being flanked and backed up by the Murut ladies doing the graceful anggalang. Accompanied by music played on six large gongs, 25 tagunggak (bamboo idiophones) and a tambor (drum), the man is dressed as a warrior donning the Murut bark jacket and loin cloth, wielding a sword known as gayang, while the women are adorned with costumes known as limpur, usually elaborately beaded and embroidered. The Anggalang and Magunatip are also performed as part of the tinauh, the Tagal Murut’s bridewealth exchange ceremony, a practice by the largest and most widespread of Sabah’s Murutic people that lingers to this day. Initially performed to welcome triumphant battle groups or victorious head hunting parties in the olden days, the dances of Anggalang and Magunatip are now mostly presented during weddings and other such occasions.