A majority of them are either Christians or Muslims. In their heartland of Mukah, better known as the 'Cradle of Melanau civilisation', the Melanaus have abandoned living in their traditional tall houses and now favour coastal kampung-style villages, having adopted a Malay lifestyle.
The Melanaus were once seafaring people and were known to be sago farmers as well as adept boat builders and fishermen. Although the Melanaus speak their own dialect, the language is not too far different from that spoken by the Sarawakian Malays. The Melanau people are well known for their massive longhouses, some of which can reach up to 40 feet high.
These diverse people, related by their use of dialects of the same language group. Majority of them are Muslims but some are Christian or practice their traditional religion. The Melanaus used to practice a custom of flattening the head by applying a wooden device to the forehead of infants.
