Have you ever heard about the great Kadazan Warrior? The Headhunter? Well, let me introduce you about Monsopiad, the famous Kadazan Warrior some 3 hundred years ago.
Monsopiad is the son of Dunggou (father) and Kizabon (mother) who was born and brought up in a village called Kuai. It was said that during his mother pregnant of him, the sacred bird Bugang made its nest on the rooftop of their house to lay its eggs. The months passed and when the time came for Monsopiad to be born, the Bugang bird eggs hatched too. Monsopiad's father looked upon this coincidence as a good omen and a sign that his son would have special powers. Thus, whenever the baby Monsopiad was given his bath, Dunggou will brought down the young birds to bathe with him. This practice was diligently observed until the birds were finally able to fly and leave the nest.
As the grandson of the Village Headman, Monsopiad received special training as a warrior. He turned out to be a natural fighter and handled every weapon with ease. Well-equipped, he vowed to hunt down and fight off the warriors that had terrorized his village for so long and will bring back their head as trophies, he claimed and hang them on the roof of his house. Just as he promised, Monsopiad's journey to rid his village from the robbers was a huge success and upon coming home, he was given a hero's welcome.
Over the years, Monsopiad soon attained a reputation and there were no robbers or evil warriors who dared to challenge him. However, the urge to kill had gotten into Monsopiad's head and he simply could not stop himself from beheading more people. He started provoking other men into fighting him so that he would have an excuse to kill and behead them.
With his changed attitude, all the villagers and his friends became afraid of him. Left with no choice, the village got a group of brave warriors together and they plan to eliminate Monsopiad. Much as they respected Monsopiad for his heroic deeds, yet they had no choice for he had slowly turned into a threat.
One night as planned, the brave worriors moved in for the kill as Monsopiad was resting in his house. As they attacked him, he fought back fiercely but realized that he had lost his special powers that were bestowed upon him by the Bugang bird. By abusing his gift, he was left powerless and become a common man. It was that very night that Monsopiad's life ended.
However, the villagers still held him dearly in their hearts for he was, after all, the man who had vanquished their enemies. All in all, Monsopiad collected 42 heads of powerful warriors, a feat that no other man could equal.
If you want to know more about this warrior, you can visit the Monsopiad Cultural Village which is situated at Kampung Kuai Kandazon, Penampang...the hometown of Monsopiad. This Cultural Village was set up in tribute and memory of Monsopiad, the great Kadazan Warrior and Headhunter...
