An Unkindness of Ravens

Did you know that a Flock of Ravens is called an Unkindness ? I read that many years ago, it was one of Ruth Rendells mystery novels , one of the Inspector Wexford series. I never forgot 'an Unkindness of Ravens' because it seemed so apt.
My nom de plume is Ravenjehra which as you can see raven you can also get the hint...this blog is one of those weird ones, word associations leading to a subject etc:-
Raven as a symbol is The Messenger, it is most probably because the Raven was sometimes used rather like the Homing Pigeon is now. Ravens were also Odin's friends, Hunin and Munin and as legend would have it could talk intellectually with Odin. As part of my nom de plume it is of course indicating I am a messenger.
Jehra is one way of spelling Ger or Jera it has only one meaning that I know of, in ancient times it was a symbol invoking Justice. Together then my name symbolises a message of justice.Given my occupation it too is apt.
But an Unkindness of Ravens has a true meaning that is perhaps missing from peoples experiences these days. A flock of Ravens meets for only two reasons , To eat and to meet out justice.
Oh yes Magpies and Ravens have often been observed 'holding court'. The luckless member of the flock which has done something to offend the flock...(anything from bad behaviour I guess to being injured and a liability to the flocks survival). Stands forlornly on the ground and the rest of gather around it in a circle. Much screeching and flapping of wings ensues and in the end, whatever agreement is reached the birds can fly away or they begin to harass the 'prisoner' and peck it to death.
But it is not that which gives them the Unkindness tag.
I think it is the eating habits. Ravens eat carrion and in ancient times and as recently as the 20th Century where there is war, there are battles and where there are battles will be casualties and amongst those casualties will be the fallen and as far as Ravens are concerned 'dinner is served'.
An Unkindness of Ravens is there before the observer, having eaten well of his comrades in arms. Not just a few Ravens, but hundreds, 'so thick in flight they darkened the sky' (I pinched that sentence from a history book ).
Of course I didn't get up today to start wandering around and mulling over such details, I needed to rest before a strenuous drive and some unpleasant dental work on Thursday. I am still a bit nervy and unsettled and so today was rest day.
I began rifling through one of those 'boxes' you mean to sort out one day. Well 'one day' was here and there on the top layer of items was Ruth Rendells book, an Unkindness of Ravens and I sort of glanced at it, then read a bit, then got lost in it and curled up in the sunshine on the floor with a great big cushion and read all day long.
The book kept me entertained and then I looked out of my Balcony window and there, without any fear or any single show of nervousness, was a Raven.
Not an Unkindness thank the light. I would have had hysterics I think...just one and what a magnificent creature he was.
Now when it is going dusk here we are all (the villagers) used to the shrieking cries of the Jackdaws as they circle the castle, a liquid wave of black smudges swirling through the air. Some of the tourists ask if Castle Harlech has Ravens as the Tower of London does and people associate the two...of course we are very proud of our Jackdaws with their sharp beady black eyes and dark grey hood. But to see a Raven this close to the castle was to say the least a little surprise.
He looked straight at me and I swear those eyes where as intelligent as any humans. With a tilt of his head he stared at me for a little while and then with a slow ponderous swoop of his wings, he was away. Gliding down below me in a graceful execution of flight. His black wings shooting tiny flashes of blue in the deep golden sunlight.
A messenger? given the last few days maybe it was indeed a messenger. Not with words of course but in symbolism.
There was me, there was the bird, there was the serendipitous timing and the oddness of having just finished a book on the subject and in between signed several e mails with my nom de plume.
Perhaps between us we constituted An Unkindness of Ravens.

so there we are, a blog about absolutely nothing. Just the meandering thoughts that can thread through the day, ending in a desire to share with my readers how symbols and sounds, names and patterns can all combine to create 'one of those oddities, weird stuff,strange,' occurrences in life.