This is how Wikipedia defines a hero. "A hero is a person who performs extraordinary deeds for the benefit of others."
The word 'extraordinary' has been defined as 'very unusual or remarkable, exceptional, incredible'. It is something out of the ordinary.
In the distant past, there may have been heroes among the ancestors of the Kadazan people. There is no way of verifying this. But IF there were none, then the Kadazan people would not be around today. There are stories of strong men among these people but are these true or just mere legend? Much of it is contained in stories passed down by word of mouth.
For example, there is this story of a man whose wife had died and whose body was put inside a huge jar. He loved his wife so much that he went inside the jar to stay with his wife's body. At about midnight, there was something that opened the jar's cover. The man saw a huge scary creature with a long beard. He wound the creature's beard around his arms and would not let go unless he was told how to bring his wife back to life. After the thing told him a combination of herbs that would do the trick, he let go of its beard. Using the herbal concoction, the man was able to bring his wife back to life. The man was able to help other people. Was this man a hero? May be. But this is just a mere story. And the sinister creature could not be of God.
During the inter-tribal wars between native tribes in the past, there must have been heroes among them in so far as each particular tribe was concerned. We may conclude that Aki Sungod was one of these. My mother told me that she saw Sungob. He was a big man although not very tall. The brass rings that he wore around his wrists would fit a grown man's calf. The scars on his head could clearly be seen. Sungob was from Sugud, a village within the Penampang District. He would have been a hero to the people of Sugud.
Another Kadazan of great strength was Monsopiad of Kuai, Tua-ui. The human skulls still kept at the Monsopiad House of Skulls tell of his prowess.
Can these strong men of the past be referred to as heroes? Perhaps they were heroes to their own tribe. But was there a hero that commanded the allegiance of the majority, if not all, of the native people because of what he had done for them?
How about NOW?
