The raven is a symbol and a character (through the power of artificial intelligence and quantum computing) in the novel I’m writing. Because of this, I find myself running across interesting facts during my research on ravens. Here’s one: Did you know that a flock of ravens has been called both a conspiracy and an unkindness? I am not quite sure where the raven-associated term conspiracy comes from, but the O.E.D. shows that the term unkindness may come from ravens’ supposed neglect of their young.
A flock (of ravens):
Oxford English Dictionary
One of many alleged group names found in late Middle English glossarial sources. Apparently revived in the 20th cent.
1448 in J. Hodgkin Proper Terms (1909) 57 (MED) A vnkyndenys off Rawynnys.
a1450 Terms Assoc. in PMLA (1936) 51 603 (MED) A nonkendenes of rauons.
1486 Bk. St. Albans sig. fvi An vnkyndenes of Rauenes.
1986 Bird Watching May 14/4 The collective name for ravens is an ‘unkindness’. This name has been given to them because of their supposed neglect of their young.
Will I use this factoid in my novel? Perhaps. After all, it is a thriller, and it’s difficult to ignore the low-hanging fruit of words like conspiracy and unkindness. But even if I don’t use it, it will be interesting for dinner conversation!
(A theory for the origin of collective nouns for different bird species can be found in this excellent article written by Paula Lester from Country Life here: Collective nouns for birds: Why we call it a murder of crows, murmuration of starlings and a conspiracy of ravens)