ABSTRACT
In precolonial Irqwa Da'aw, the relationships among aya members were shaped by cosmology and moral codes of behavior that defined relations between the human population and the supernatural. Today, the situation is more complex, as the Christian churches gain more adherents and put forth their own notions of community and morality. The supernatural beings in Iraqw cosmology mediate and judge the moral behavior of the human population. Iraqw moral codes emphasize a concern with community and household harmony. In Irqwa Da'aw, disputes over land and livestock were the most frequent causes of wakari. To enter into the state of wakari, the protagonists cut off relations completely with one another. Iraqw cosmology provides a blueprint for age, gender, and social relations within aya communities. Supernatural sanctions punish violations of moral codes that stress an individual's responsibility to the family and to the community.
