Learn from the mistakes of others

so, why is my website titled 'an unkindness of ravens'?

well now, the english language has some interesting quirks. most of them arise from the colourful history of the language. among these are the interesting collective nouns - especially those for groups of animals.

many, if not most, are descriptive in some way. consider for a moment a crash of rhinocerosses, or a cloud of plankton. or perhaps a parliament or wisdom of owls - describing characteristics that are, or have been, ascribed to owls. wise and contemplative.

so too, the murder of crows. crows were thought to sit in judgement on their fellows, and to murder any of their kind found guilty of breaking their law. honourable, if vindictive (much like people of the time, i suppose).

there are a number of collective nouns for ravens. one can be beset by a conspiracy of ravens, or you might be watched by a constable of ravens. if you were somewhat unlucky, you might be visited by an unkindness of ravens.¹

what does this have to do with my website?

not a lot really.²

i seem to have forgotten the point of this post.

oh well.

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1 "An "unkindness of ravens", for instance, may go back to the old belief that ravens pushed their young out of the nest to survive as best they could."

2 i have since read an interesting short story entitled "an unkindness of ravens", and it is the title of an inspector wexford book by ruth rendell.

so, why is my website titled 'an unkindness of ravens'?

well now, the english language has some interesting quirks. most of them arise from the colourful history of the language. among these are the interesting collective nouns - especially those for groups of animals.

many, if not most, are descriptive in some way. consider for a moment a crash of rhinocerosses, or a cloud of plankton. or perhaps a parliament or wisdom of owls - describing characteristics that are, or have been, ascribed to owls. wise and contemplative.

so too, the murder of crows. crows were thought to sit in judgement on their fellows, and to murder any of their kind found guilty of breaking their law. honourable, if vindictive (much like people of the time, i suppose).

there are a number of collective nouns for ravens. one can be beset by a conspiracy of ravens, or you might be watched by a constable of ravens. if you were somewhat unlucky, you might be visited by an unkindness of ravens.¹

what does this have to do with my website?

not a lot really.²

i seem to have forgotten the point of this post.

oh well.

---
1 "An "unkindness of ravens", for instance, may go back to the old belief that ravens pushed their young out of the nest to survive as best they could."

2 i have since read an interesting short story entitled "an unkindness of ravens", and it is the title of an inspector wexford book by ruth rendell.