According to Paul Raffaele during his expedition to Korowai territory in 2006, when the tribe members ate a khakhua, they ate everything but the teeth, hair and nails. It can also be assumed they don't eat the bones, but there is something significant about the teeth, hair and nails in regard to Korowai religion.

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At wotop, or sacred places, the hair or nails of a person can be placed there, and the life of the person to whom the nails or hair belonged to is given to the mbolombolop, or ancestors, of that clan. Necklaces of dog and pig teeth are common among tribe members, and they are even given as gifts and considered valuable. Additionally, Korowai are known to burn hair and nails along with arrow tips they believe to be cursed.

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Hair and nails are seen as carriers of power, or ndafun. Many things carry ndafun in Korowai culture, but nails and hair especially. Other things include menstrual blood and blood from a pregnancy. Vaginally discharged blood is believed to carry negative ndafun and can be lethal to men that touch it.

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The Korowai Vision of the Universe

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There is no spirit world in the Korowai universe. In fact, the spirits operate in the same part of the universe that humans and animals do: bolübolüp, or "the places." Bolübolüp is the innermost circle of the four that make up the Korowai universe. When animals and people die, they pass into the second circle: bolüplefupé, or "world of the dead."

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Bolübolüp and bolüplefupé are connected by a road called the Major Causeway that passes through a twilight rainforest. However, the souls of the deceased are not alone on this road; souls that are subject for reincarnation also travel here. The word laléo means "spirit" or "demon," but it has also been known to mean "after-death demon" or "zombie." This implies that spirits and zombies are synonymous in the Korowai language, making sense as to why spirits and humans share a world.

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As of now, there is no separate afterlife reserved for those who are considered "bad." This includes the khakhua. According to Lourens de Vries and Gerrit J. van Enk, some tribes in the area have adopted the concept of a "hell" into their religions due to influence from Christian missionaries, but this has not happened to the Korowai.

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After bolüplefupé comes méanmaél, or "the great water." The exact translation is "the dog water," which, according to van Enk and de Vries, could be a reference to the dog in the Korowai creation story. This circle is also known as atiafunakh, or "the surrounding water."

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Lastly, there is dalibün, or "the sky." According to the Korowai, this is where the moon, sun and stars reside. There is no role or meaning given to the stars in Korowai culture, but the sun signifies health, as they believe the sun's warmth possesses healing powers. The moon is viewed as a source of light, but it is moreso seen as a way to keep time. Other important sky dwellers are thunderstorms and solar eclipses, both of which are seen as apocalyptic motifs.

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The Korowai creation myth is forbidden to female tribe members and outsiders. For the sake of respecting the tribe's customs, I will not share the specific creation story, but I will offer some common themes.

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Like the Norse creation myth, parts of the earth was created from dismembered organisms.

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The motif of emasculation leading to transgenderism and, furthermore, a removal of power, is present.

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The motif of sago grub "grease" being used in fertility originates from the Korowai creation story and is very relevant to sago grub festivals held by the tribe.

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