Abstract
The Koryak funeral ritual is analyzed in the context of their current behavior and religious beliefs. It is revealed that the foundation of the ritual, performed through cremation, is the mythological belief in the Big Raven as a primal forefather and cultural character. Among the indigenous peoples of the North, the Koryaks stand apart as the only ones to link the cult of the raven-ancestor with burial and to develop it into distinct rituals. The author defines the latter collectively as a "raven show", consisting of three parts: first, the preliminary preparation of the "tailed" raven costume; second, the actions of the "raven escort" and other individuals on the burial day; and, third, the mass rite of induction into the "raven people" during the cremation. Thus, the Koryak funeral ritual is structurally permeated with events related to various "raven" themes, expressed in ideological, behavioral, and material aspects. It was among the Koryak that the raven mythology became closely linked to the cremation ritual, historically most likely adopted through the Nivkh. The present research, revealing the pervasive "raven" leitmotif of this unique ritual, contributes to preserving an important part of the Koryak cultural heritage.