[3] It is a belief among the Punan Bah that a large helmeted hornbill guards the river between life and death.

[5][6] This species has a bare, wrinkled throat patch, pale blue to greenish in females and red in males.

Their call is two parts, the first consisting of a series of loud, intermittent barbet-like hoots, sometimes double-toned and over two dozen in number, which sound like the "toop" or "took" noise of an axe.

These hoots gradually accelerates to climax in a cackle reminiscent of laughter; this is thought to advertise information about the caller, such as age, size, and fitness, to listening conspecifics.

[7] Because of this call, the Helmeted Hornbill is also known in Malay as the "Kill your mother in law" bird (Tebang Mentua).

As punishment, the gods transformed him into the Helmeted Hornbill and so he was condemned to relive his crime forever by mimicking the sound of an axe striking foundation posts, followed with cackling glee at the house crashing down.

In the Punan Bah culture, helmeted hornbills guard the passage between life and the afterlife and judge the worth of those who pass.

The Orang Ulu of northeastern Malaysia only allowed those who has taken a head to wear the Helmeted Hornbill's feathers.

Many native peoples used the two long, central tail feathers to adorn ceremonial attire and weapons for weddings, funerals, and other official functions.