Tinangol Village, Sabah

Kudat and the lands around it are the home of the Rungus people. A sub-group of the Kadazan-Dusun, they have a distinctive language, dress, architecture, customs and oral literature.

The traditional Rungus dress is black, often with hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth of antique beads. This beadwork and its designs easily distinguish the Rungus from the other ethnic groups of Sabah.

Rungus Beads Centre

Kampung Tinangol, or Tinangol village is one of four craft villages in the Kudat peninsula which the entire village specialises in one type of handicraft; in this case beadwork.

You can see Rungus women making beads here.

Beadwork in both modern and traditional style.

The pinakol is an example of traditional beadwork that consists of a pair of flat beaded bandoleer-type belts that are worn crossed-over the chest and back by the Rungus.

The Rungus have four basic figures used in the design of a pinakol. 

At the top is a beautiful flower called a vinusak.

Next is a dangerous river animal "that if it bites your hand you are paralysed. Many years ago they became extinct because the Rungus put poison in the water and killed all of them."

Below that is a spear for catching fish called an inompuling.

At the bottom is a Rungus man named tiningulung.

        The Pinakol.

In the photograph above, note the "dangerous river animal" design at the top of the Pinakol on the right, followed by inompuling design, then the tiningulung below that.

You can see the Pinakol and more at the Rungus Beads Centre in Tinangol. You can also wander around the village and see the modern-type longhouses the villagers live in, complete with satellite tv antennas.