 Murut in traditional attire in Mari Mari Cultural Village,Sabah | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 112,900 (2020)[1](Malaysia) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Malaysia Indonesia Brunei | |
| Languages | |
| Murutic languages,Sabah Malay,Sarawak Malay,Standard Malay,English (those resident in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan),Brunei Malay (those living in Temburong district) andIndonesian (those resident in Kalimantan) | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity (82%),Islam (16%),Animism (2%) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Tidung,Sino-Murut,Dayak,Kadazan-Dusun,Lundayeh,Orang Ulu and otherAustronesian peoples |
TheMurut, alternatively referred to asTagol/Tahol,[2] constitute an indigenous ethnic community comprising 29 distinct sub-ethnic groups dwelling within the northern inland territories ofBorneo. Characterised by their rich cultural diversity, theMurutic languages form a linguistic family encompassing approximately half a dozen closely intertwined Austronesian languages. Murut populations exhibit dispersion inMalaysia'sSabah and the northern part ofSarawak, as well as in the country ofBrunei and theIndonesianNorth Kalimantan province. Furthermore, the Murut people have close connections with theTidung, who historically inhabited Borneo's east coast region that underwent processes of Islamisation and Malayisation.
The literal translation ofmurut is "hill people".[3][better source needed]
A large percentage of the Murut communities are in the southwest interior ofSabah,East Malaysia, specifically the districts ofKeningau,Tenom,Nabawan,Labuan andBeaufort along the Sapulut and Padas rivers. They can also be found inhabiting the border areas ofSarawak, (especially around theLawas andLimbang areas, where they are also referred to as Tagal people),North Kalimantan (traditionally concentrated inMalinau Regency andNunukan Regency), andBrunei.
The Murut population inBrunei is mainly found in the sparsely populatedTemburong district, but are actually consisting of Southern Murut which is more accurately termed "Lun Bawang". They once supplied military might to the Sultans of Brunei. Their population has dwindled in recent years.[4] They are defined as one of the seven indigenous groups that are considered to beBumiputera in Brunei.
The Murut in Brunei and Sarawak (Southern Murut) is ethnically and linguistically different from Murut in Sabah (Northern Murut). In Sarawak, the confusing term "Murut" is hence replaced with the term "Lun Bawang", while this has not taken place in Brunei.[5] The Northern Murut is more commonly termed "Tagol" or "Tagal" in Brunei and Sarawak.
The Murut are divided between lowland (Timugon) and highland (Tagol) subgroups. They speak theMurutic languages, a branch of theAustronesian family. TheTagol Murut language serves as theirlingua franca.
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christianity | 80.19% | |||
| Islam | 18.04% | |||
| Folk religion / Other religions | 0.21% | |||
| No religion / Unknown | 1.56% | |||
The Murut were the last of Sabah's ethnic groups to renounceheadhunting. As with theIban ofSarawak, collecting heads of enemies traditionally served a very important role in Murut spiritual beliefs. For example, a boy could only get married after he presented at least one head to the family of the desired girl.
The Murut were shifting cultivators of hillpadi andtapioca, supplementing their diet withblowpipe hunting and with somefishing. They live in communallonghouses, usually near rivers, using the rivers as their highways. Most have now converted toChristianity, with about a fifth of the population being Muslims. However, they still maintain their culture.
Traditional dress for men was a jacket made of tree bark (Artocarpus tamaran), a redloincloth, and a headdress decorated withArgus pheasant feathers. Women wore a black sleeveless blouse andsarong, which fell just below the knees. Like most of the other indigenous groups in Sabah, the Murut decorated their clothing with distinctivebeadwork and also made belts out of oldsilver coins. Another belt made of reddish-brown glass beads plus yellow and blue beads was hung loosely around the waist.
Murut wedding or funeral feasts can last several days. Ancient Chinese jars hold a prominent status in Murut customs. Jars are also a place of spirits, and larger jars were formerly used as coffins.
The Murut have a musical heritage consisting of various types ofagung ensembles – ensembles composed of large hanging, suspended or held, bossed/knobbedgongs which act as a drone without any accompanying melodic instrument.[7][8]
Murut also used bamboo as a musical instrument, by using bamboo to compose songs. Some musical instrument like tangkung (similar to that of a guitar, except it has only two strings) is made from wood. Tangkung is usually played during their leisure time.
Antanum was a famous and influential Murut warrior from Sabah who according to local oral history claimed to have supernatural powers. Because of this, he was able to receive support from the chiefs and villagers from around Keningau, Tenom, Pensiangan, andRundum and led theRundum uprising against theBritish North Borneo Company but was killed during fighting with the company army in Sungai Selangit near Pensiangan.[9]
The Murut people are divided into three linguistic groups, namely:-
