The Legend

A long, long time age, the staple food of Kinoingan and his people was a type of grain called Huvong. One day, there was no huvong
left to plant, nor other grains left for food. Kinoingan was so worried and felt very sorry for his people sufferings. It was said that
Kinoingan sacrificed Huminodun, the only child to Kinoingan and Suminundu. She was the most beautiful maiden in her time, truly
anyone who gaze at her lovely countenance would be transfixed and fall in love with her. She was also kind hearted and blessed with
wisdom beyond her years.
Huminodun was willing to be a sacrifice and be an offering to the great earth so that there will be seeds once agaon for planting and
there will be food for the people. Kinoingan was deeply saddened, but seeing that there was nothing else he could do to dissuade her,
Kinoingan went ahead and cleared the land for planting. Through his supernatural powers, he was able to clear such a large area over
many hills without any difficulty. When the time came for planting, Huminodun was brought to the cleared plot. As she was leaving,
one cold hear the pitiful wails of great sadness from Suminundu, her mother. It was not at all easy for Huminodun to leave her mother
and likewise her mother letting her only child go. The young men who had fallen in love with Huminodun could not let her go either.
Indeed, they too cried and begged her to change her mid. However, there was nothing anyone could do, Huminodun had decided that
her fathers people came before her.
When she arrived at the cleared plot, she turned to her father and said: Father, you will see that my body will give rise to all sorts of
edible plants for the people. My flesh will give rise to rice; my head, the coconut; my bones, tapioca; my toes, ginger; my teeth, maize;
my knees, yams and others parts of my body to a variety of edible plants. This way never again will our people grow hungry to the
point of dying.
However, Huminodun continued, Do follow these instructions of mine for it will guarantee us a bountiful harvest. When you have
strewn parts of my body all over this clearings, do not come and see me for seven days and seven nights. When the padi has ripened,
and it is time for harvest, do not start the harvest without doing this; take seven stalks of rice (padi) and tie them to one end of a
spliced bamboo stick and them, plant this stick at the centre of the rice (padi) field. Only after this may you begin your harvesting
activities. Later, place this bamboo stick with the seven rice (padi) stalks in the rice (padi) storage container (tangkob) when you bring
it home after the harvest. For your first day harvest, do keep them in a big jar (kakanan). And, Father, do not give away your first
years harvest because the grains may become bad. You can only give away your harvest to others in the second year. (That is why to
this day, the Kadazandusun people do not give away their first years harvest.)
Kinoingan agreed to follow all her instructions. So it was that when Kinoingan sacrificed Huminodun, the whole world turned dark
and there was awesome thunder and lightning.
That year, the people had never seen such a harvest. It was plentiful. Kinoingan had done as Huminodun instructed He also kept away
the first days harvest in the kakanan and harvested the first seven stalks of rice from the rice plot. The seven stalks of rice represented
Bambaazon, the spirit of the padi or rice.
As for the rice in the jar, the kakanan, on the seventh day a beautiful maiden miraculously stood up out of the big jar. She was referred
to as Unduk Ngadau, the spirit of Huminodun. It was said that this Unduk Ngadau was the one who instructed the first Bobohizan or
Kadazandusun priestess in her prayers.
Therefore to this day, the Kadazandusun people have included the Unduk Ngadau Pageant as a grand part of their Kaamatan
Festivals. It is a manifestation to the deep sense of respect and admiration that the Kadazandusun people have for the legendary
Huminodun. It is a sacred title ascribed to Huminodun, to her absolute obedience to Kinoingan, so much so as to be a willing sacrifice

for the sake of the fathers creation. Unduk Ngadau then is commemorative term in praise of Huminoduns eternal youth and the
total beauty of her heart, mind and body.
The term Unduk or Tunduk literally means the shoot of a plant, which, in it most tangible description, signifies youth and
progressiveness. Likewise, in its literal meaning, Ngadau or Tadau means the sun, which connotes the total beauty of the heart,
mind and body of an ideal Kadazandusun woman. In essence therefore the Unduk Ngadau is a processual event of selecting from
among the Kadazandusun beauties, one who would resemble the ascribed personality of Huminodun.