How the world was made

How the world was made story

The Dusun people called their God Kinoringan. At first, he and his wife Yumun lived alone in the sky. One day Kinoringan said, “I feel rather lonely. Why don’t we make the world?” so he took his shield and a round rice-tray. He put the shield upside down with the tray on top of it. He then lowered them down below the clouds. The shield became the earth the tray the sky. He and his wife then stood on the earth.

“it’s not very interesting, is it?” he asked. “Let’s make some mountains and sea and islands.”

So they took a large stone and placed it in the centre of the earth. This is the stone which people now call Mount Kinabalu. It is said that Kinoringan still lives on top of it to judge people when they die.

Kinoringan and his wife placed another large stone on the earth and this became the Mantanani Island. They dug a hole which they tilled with water to make the sea. As they walked on the earth. They were so heavy that their feet sank into the ground. These holes became valleys.

“What about making some people?” Kinoringan said. First of all, they made a man and a woman out of stone. But the couple was unable to talk or walk. They then made a man and a woman out of wood. These could talk but they could not walk. So Kinoringan and his wife burnt them and the ashes became deserts. Finally, they made a man and a woman out of an ant’s nest. These could both walk and talk. The human race began in tis way.

Some people believe that Kinoringan still watches over the world from the top of mount Kinabalu. When a baby is born, he takes a piece of string and ties some knots in it. Each knot stands for a number of years. Every year, Kinoringan unties one knot. When the last knot is untied, the time has come for the person to die. Sometimes, however, Kinoringan falls asleep while he is tying the knots. When he wakes up, he forgets what he has done and takes another piece of string and starts tying some more knots. That is why some people have a long life. If Kinoringan falls asleep before he was tied the first knot, the baby will die before it is one year old.

People say that when they die their souls go to Mount Kinabalu. On the way, they must cross the Tempasuk River near the house of Oduk Magatob, the daughter of Kinoringan. When a soul comes to her house, she looks to see if the last knot has been untied. If it has not, she sends the soul back home. That is why some people who appear to be dead, come back to life.

This is how Kinoringan made the world.

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