Unveiling the folklore, rituals behind the harvest fest

Keeping the art alive: Murut people performing their traditional dance.

KOTA KINABALU: During the end of the harvest season, it is customary to perform a ritual to call upon the padi spirits to return home. This involves chanting in ancient languages while moving in circles.

Once the spirits are home, they are placed in a granary (tangkob) to rest for a year before they are taken back to the fields when a new padi season begins.