Damidal: No Ordinary Man

by H. Joplin Mosiun

August 2, 2024

Damidal was an important figure among the Dusun and Tombonuo communities of Sugud, Maang, Limbanak, and Ramayah in Putatan, which are now part of the district of Penampang. He was born around 1820, about four decades after the arrival of tribal people from the interior to Putatan.

Damidal was bestowed with the title ‘Datu Delingga’ by the Sultan of Brunei, but the pronunciation has been corrupted and localized to ‘Datu Dulinggou.’ Narratives suggest that he received this honor and appointment to serve as a mediator between the Sultan and his subjects. Some sources have suggested that several community leaders in Putatan who abstained from the rebellion against the Sultan’s tax collectors were granted similar honorary titles, although this claim remains debated. The following folk story suggests that Damidal, even as a young man, was already well-known in Brunei long before the Kulintangon Buis Revolt.

Damidal was no ordinary man for he possessed extraordinary strength despite his modest height. He was not a tall person but was exceptionally built and agile. From a young age, he had immersed himself in misangod (war), engaging in battles and raids alongside his peers. 

In those days, adventurous young men journeyed far from their villages to places like Brunei, Pensiangan, or even Sarawak, in search of esoteric and forbidden knowledge of the magical kind and to hone their skills in fighting arts such as Silat and Kuntau. Damidal and his group of fellow path seekers were in Brunei, engrossed in training. 

By chance, the Sultan happened to be nearby and was delighted to see so many dedicated students of the martial arts. He generously offered to treat them to coconuts. Spotting the stocky Damidal among them, the Sultan singled him out to fetch coconuts from the tall trees. Fortunately, Damidal was adept at climbing. In moments, he ascended the coconut tree with the agility of a bosing (squirrel), his hands and feet skillfully latching onto the trunk. Everyone watched in awe as he swiftly made his way up the 40ft tree. 

Upon reaching the top, and in the absence of a cutting tool, Damidal lashes out at the coconuts, causing them to fall to the ground with a single blow. The sultan was impressed by the spectacle, but Damidal’s peers started to regard him with a mix of admiration and wariness; afterall, he was no ordinary man. 

When did Damidal become a leader of his people? It is likely that he rose to prominence following the incident of misangod at Sugud.

At that time, the Putatan Dusuns faced their own problems besides the looming threat of raids by the Totombunan tribes, particularly the Tagahas. Although generally peaceful, the people’s discontent had intensified due to oppressive warlords and gangs linked to Datu Botulung, the Huguan Siou of the Bangkaakon. This period of violence led the people to take matters into their own hands and seek a change in their circumstances, eventually leading to a decisive confrontation that would shape their future. The uprising signaled the end of the Bangkaakon’s legitimacy over a large portion of the Putatan district.

Since the bloody incident in Sugud, I believe, the Putatan Dusuns began reorganizing their communities to handle internal affairs more effectively and elected leaders among themselves, who were later awarded honorary titles by the Sultan of Brunei. The Sultan had even helped Damidal by assisting in curbing the onslaught of the Tagahas and their headhunting activities in Putatan. Moved by his subject’s loyalty, the Sultan sent his military forces to assist in the fight against the Tagahas, and they were successful in repelling the raids.

The practice of acquiring human heads, whether through war or duels, began to fall out of favor with the people of Putatan. The issue was not just headhunting; rather, the menfolk were engaging in lethal duels, often by the river, where the winner would claim the loser’s head and property, including land. This practice was considered barbaric and unjustifiable. It was far worse than mangazou, where men went on the warpath to obtain heads to attract the opposite sex and for other reasons. The abhorrent practice of a kin killing his own relatives or clansmen was marked by the fanaticism of displaying their skulls on the rafters of his house for guests to gawk at. Many such deaths from duels went unresolved, leading to ill feelings.

This norm began to change following the fall of the Bangkaakon. The practice lost its place as one of the crucial roles of the datus was to uphold native customary laws and the adat (custom), be it the Kadazan or its offshoot, the Tangara, which was established in every dusun village in Putatan. This system ensured safety and maintained order. Thus, even before the Chartered Company took control of North Borneo and abolished headhunting in 1880s, the practice had already significantly diminished and lost its significance in Putatan except for old skull trophies hanging in every household.

This change in Putatan may have reverberated elsewhere. In Tambunan, a prominent leader named Sogunting called for the establishment of peace among all warring groups to end feuds and headhunting. This event, known as the ‘Popotingkod do Pisangadan,’ was attended by community leaders from various districts, with Damidal representing the Putatan Dusuns. Unfortunately, some groups broke their oaths and continued to wreak havoc until the British arrived.

As for Damidal, he maintained good relations with the Tagahas chiefs of the Crocker Range and helped the Chartered Company maintain order in Putatan. Until his old age, he served his people diligently. The following is an excerpt from the British North Borneo Herald dated February 1, 1900 (page 37):

Datu Delingga of Sugut reports that he and the Tegaas chiefs had tried the case of a Dusun of Tegaas named Lumadar who killed a man named Sabon. In accordance with native custom he was fined and the details of the fine are somewhat curious. They were:- 2 pieces of land valued @ $26, 9 jars $23, 2 buffaloes $16, 2 “chanangs” $12 and 1 gong worth $5, making up a total of $76.

Legend has it that whenever Damidal wanted to call a gathering, he would ascend the summit of a particular hill and, with his thundering voice, summon the people of Sugud, Maang, Limbanak, and even those as far as Ramayah would hear him. He was truly no ordinary man.