***
Long ago in the Niah Caves area, there was a village on a hill called Bukit Terayeng.
As the story goes, the people of the village decided to extend their longhouse.
According to their customs and beliefs, anyone wishing to build a house must sacrifice a human child on the spot where the first house post for the new longhouse would go.
A child was carefully chosen and the sacrifice was completed
The unfortunate child was a grandson of an old woman named Peira.
One day, upon realizing that her grandson did not come home, shewent looking for him.
After a long search, Peira found a bloodstain on the ground and knew at once that her grandson had been the victim of the tradition.
She wept bitterly over the loss of her only living descendant and vowed revenge on her people.
“For this, let all mankind alsodie,” Peira Cursed
For five consecutive days, she beat gongs and danced.
Eventually, a large crowd gathered and was amazed to see the lonely old woman beating out dance-rhythms for days and nights.
Suddenly, the sky turned dard, a storm began, the wind howled, and rain fell as stones.
The longhouse then turned into a cave and all the people turned to stone – thus forming the caves and the mountain above.
It is believed that the people can still be seen in the caves today as stalagmites and stalactites
***
Traveled on: Aug 2022
