Snakes have long captured the imagination of humans across cultures with their slithering movements and venomous bites. But have you ever wondered what a group of snakes is collectively called? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the various terms used to describe a group of snakes and trace the origins and usage of these intriguing collective nouns.
If you’re short on time, here’s the quick answer: There are several terms used to refer to a group of snakes, including a nest, den, pit, bed, knot, and many more. Some are more commonly used, like a den or nest of snakes, while others are more obscure or literary.
The usage depends on the species and context.
A Nest or Den of Snakes
Most Common Terms
The most commonly used collective nouns for a group of snakes are a “nest”, “pit”, “den”, or “knot” of snakes (YourDictionary). These terms reflect how certain snake species tend to congregate together, often in holes, burrows, or other sheltered areas.
For example, rat snakes are known to nest communally in tree hollows, rock crevices, and abandoned animal burrows during the winter months for brumation. Groups of up to 30 snakes may pile on top of one another into a large, tangled “knot” to share body heat (DWAZoo).
Rattlesnakes also den together in large numbers, with documented congregations of over 1,000 snakes in a single winter den! These sizable gatherings led to descriptive collective terms like a “rhumba” of rattlesnakes.
Origins and Usage
The origins of these colorful snake group names can be traced back centuries in English vocabulary and folklore. Early English-speaking settlers and explorers often encountered snakes gathered together, leading to imaginative terms like a “nest”, “pit”, or “knot” to describe them.
Over time, these collective nouns were popularized in written works by naturalists. For example, a “den of snakes” was used in Gilbert White’s seminal 1789 book The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne.
Such vivid terms have persisted in the modern lexicon when referring to multiple snakes together.
So whether you chance upon a pit of vipers or a nest of garter snakes, you can now eloquently name the assembled serpents. Just try not to get too close to that knot of snakes – even common species can give a nasty bite when agitated!
A Pit of Snakes
Usage in Context
The term “a pit of snakes” is used metaphorically to refer to a dangerous, unpredictable, or treacherous situation involving many individuals acting threateningly. For example, one might say “Entering that negotiation was like jumping into a pit of snakes – everyone had their own agenda and was ruthless in pursuing it.”
Or “The political landscape is a pit of snakes, with different factions constantly undermining and attacking each other.”
While a literal pit of snakes would be extremely hazardous, the metaphorical usage refers more to the sense of peril arising from immersion in a competitive context full of scheming, self-interested players.
Just as it would be reckless to leap into a hole filled with venomous serpents, it is similarly risky to involve oneself in scenarios characterized by deception, betrayal, and vicious infighting.
Related Terms
Some related terms and phrases conveying a similar hazardous, cutthroat climate marked by possible double-crossing include:
- A snake pit
- A den of vipers
- A shark tank
- A lion’s den
- A dog-eat-dog world
While “a pit of snakes” vividly stands out due to its specificity, these comparable expressions also paint pictures of navigating risky situations filled with predators ready to take advantage of any vulnerability. They emphasize the menacing, perilous qualities of certain competitive environments.
A Knot of Snakes
Literary References
The term “a knot of snakes” has been used in literature and poetry for centuries to refer to a group of snakes. Some notable examples include:
- In John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost, he writes “A knot of snakes rolled on the dank and gloomy ground.” This passage describes Satan’s encounter with Sin, who is described as having snakes in her hair.
- The British poet John Keats uses the phrase in his poem Lamia, writing “She was a gordian shape of dazzling hue, Vermilion-spotted, golden, green, and blue; Striped like a zebra, freckled like a pard, Eyed like a peacock, and all crimson barr’d; And full of silver moons, that, as she breathed, Dissolv’d, or brighter shone, or interwreathed Their lustres with the gloomier tapestries— So rainbow-sided, touch’d with miseries, She seem’d, at once, some penanced lady elf, Some demon’s mistress, or the demon’s self.
Upon her crest she wore a wannish fire Sprinkled with stars, like Ariadne’s tiar: Her head was serpent, but ah, bitter-sweet! She had a woman’s mouth with all its pearls complete: And for her eyes: what could such eyes do there But weep, and weep, that they were born so fair?
As Proserpine still weeps for her Sicilian air. Her throat was serpent, but the words she spake Came, as through bubbling honey, for Love’s sake, And thus; while Hermes on his pinions lay, Like a stoop’d falcon ere he takes his prey.”
In this section, Lamia is described as having serpent-like qualities.
- In Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem The Princess, he writes “A knot of golden snakes it seem’d, to curl Through that dark iron.” The poem uses the knot of snakes as a metaphor for the protagonist’s curling golden hair.
So the phrase has a rich literary history, often being used to evoke intricacy, danger, and supernatural imagery involving snakes.
Distinct Usage
While a group of snakes is often referred to as a “den”, “nest”, or “pit” of snakes, the term “a knot of snakes” has a more distinct and specific usage.
- It refers to a tangled, twisted mass of snakes, coiled and wound together, sometimes even tied in literal knots.
- Often used to describe a writhing nest of small snakes like worms or vipers rather than larger serpentine snakes.
- Connotes knotted complexity, danger, and something convoluted but united.
Some examples of how the phrase may be used:
- “When the log was lifted, a knot of tiny brown snakes poured out from underneath.”
- “The head of Medusa was said to be a knot of venomous vipers.”
- “The rival companies were tied together like a knot of snakes, both competing and cooperating.”
So while snakes may form dens, nests, and pits, a “knot of snakes” paints a vivid image of snakes intricately knotted and woven together into one tangled collective.
Other Terms for Groups of Snakes
A Bed of Snakes
A bed of snakes refers to a large group of snakes gathered together in the same place. This term likely originated from the sight of multiple snakes gathered on or under rocks, in burrows, or coiled together on the forest floor.
While individual snakes tend to be solitary creatures, they will congregate in large numbers when hibernating or breeding. A hibernaculum may contain a “bed” of hundreds or even thousands of snakes, as they take advantage of each other’s body heat.
Some snake species also assemble in large breeding groups called breeding balls. So a “bed” can describe these seasonal gatherings where snakes group close together for warmth or mating.
A Medusa of Snakes
A medusa of snakes draws comparison to the snake-haired Gorgon Medusa in Greek mythology. This vivid term invokes the image of a mass of twisting, intertwined snake bodies, similar to the snakes writhing atop Medusa’s head.
Huge, tightly knotted balls of breeding snakes likely inspired the name “medusa.” Males will fight for access to females amid a roiling and chaotic mass of snakes that look much like the snake-hair crowning Medusa.
A Charm of Snakes
Like many animal group names, referring to a charm of snakes is an artistic flight of fancy rather than a scientific term. But it poetically captures the mixture of mystery, fascination and wariness that snakes often provoke. To behold a congregation of snakes may indeed feel strangely charming.
The word “charm” traces back to Medieval Latin “carmen,” meaning song or incantation. This lyrical term nicely conveys the hypnotic allure of snakes and their sinuous movements.
So while not biologically precise, calling snakes a “charm” pleasingly conveys their power to captivate and entrance their observers.
Conclusion
In summary, there are a diverse range of collective nouns used to describe groups of snakes, from the common and practical like a nest, to the more evocative and literary, like a charm or medusa. The terms speak to the mysterious yet fearful reputation snakes have across human cultures.
But these intriguing collectives also reveal our enduring fascination with the serpentine form and behavior of these creatures.