Chiara C. Rizzarda's Blog, page 29

Antifragility in Team Management: Reward Experimentation

Teams that thrive under pressure, learn from mistakes, and emerge stronger from challenges are antifragile, but how do you create the right environment for these qualities to emerge?

Encourage Autonomy and Decentralization. In antifragile systems, decision-making needs to be decentralized as it happens in Scrum. Giving your team the autonomy to make decisions empowers them to respond quickly and adapt to changing situations, which makes the entire team stronger and fosters ownership towards the product.

Promote a Growth Mindset. Encourage your team to view challenges as opportunities to grow rather than obstacles through example, honesty and the creation of a safe environment. When team members feel that their failures will lead to learning and improvement, they’re more likely to experiment and push boundaries.

Build Redundancy into Teams. Just like in biology, redundancy in teams can prevent collapse when stress hits: cross-train team members so that multiple people can step into different roles if needed. This makes the team adaptable and more resistant to shocks and allows for a natural turnover whenever some team member needs rest. Antifragility thrives in stress, after all, and stress is… well, stressful.

Reward Experimentation. Create a culture where taking calculated risks is rewarded. If team members feel they can safely experiment without fear of punishment, they’re more likely to innovate, which strengthens the team over time.

Let’s focus on the last aspect, as it might be the most difficult to put into practice: the ability to experiment, adapt, and innovate is crucial for any organization’s long-term success. Teams that feel encouraged to experiment, in fact, tend to be more creative, resilient, and engaged. However, creating a culture that rewards experimentation is not easy. It requires deliberate management strategies that balance the risks of failure with the potential for breakthrough success. By recognizing and rewarding experimentation, leaders can foster an environment where teams are motivated to push boundaries and pursue new ideas.

Yes, but how?

1. Recognition and Celebration of Failures

One of the most critical steps in rewarding experimentation is redefining failure as a positive (and natural) outcome of experimentation rather than a negative one as it happens in the “business as usual” scenario where everything needs to repeat as standardised as possible. Too often, teams are discouraged from taking risks because they fear the repercussions of failure. To counter this, managers can implement a practice of recognizing and celebrating failures that arise from well-intentioned experimentation.

Some companies, such as Google and Tata, have famously implemented “Failure Awards” or “Dare to Try” awards. These awards are given to teams or individuals who took bold risks that didn’t pan out as expected but contributed valuable lessons to the organization. By celebrating these failures publicly, managers send a clear message that taking risks is encouraged, and failure is seen as part of the learning process. The key to this technique is to ensure that failures are not the result of recklessness but rather thoughtful attempts at innovation. Recognizing these efforts can help shift the team’s mindset from fearing failure to viewing it as a necessary step toward success.

2. Providing Time and Space for Experimentation

To foster a culture of experimentation, it’s essential to give teams the time and space they need to explore new ideas. When employees are constantly pressured to meet deadlines and focus on their core responsibilities, they may not have the bandwidth to experiment with new approaches. By intentionally allocating time for experimentation, managers can demonstrate that innovation is a priority.

Google’s famous “20% Time” policy allows employees to spend 20% of their work hours on passion projects or experimental ideas that may not be directly related to their job responsibilities. This initiative has led to the creation of some of Google’s most successful products, including Gmail and AdSense. By giving employees time to pursue their ideas, Google empowers them to experiment without worrying about immediate results.
While the concept of 20% Time remains a powerful symbol of Google’s innovative culture, the policy itself has undergone changes. Initially, it was a more structured program, but over time, it has become less formalized: the rigid 20% time allocation has been relaxed, allowing for more flexibility in how employees use their time, and there’s a greater emphasis on projects that have a tangible impact on the company, rather than purely experimental endeavours. Many successful projects born from 20% Time have been integrated into the company’s main products and services.

This technique can be adapted to fit different organizational structures. For example, managers can designate “innovation days” or “hackathons” where teams can step away from their regular tasks and focus entirely on experimentation. Providing this space shows employees that their creativity is valued and that the organization is committed to fostering innovation.

3. Incentivizing Experimentation with Rewards

Beyond recognition, providing tangible rewards for experimentation can be an effective way to encourage teams to take risks. These rewards can take many forms, from financial bonuses to career development opportunities. The key is to align the rewards with the organization’s innovation goals and to make sure they are meaningful to the team.

Some companies offer “innovation grants” or “seed funding” to teams or individuals who propose promising experimental projects. For example, the software development company Atlassian runs internal innovation contests where employees can pitch ideas and receive funding to bring those ideas to life. This approach incentivizes employees to think creatively and take ownership of innovative projects, knowing that their efforts could be rewarded with resources and support.

Innovation grants can be structured as a competitive process, where teams submit proposals and compete for funding, or as an ongoing initiative where managers allocate resources to experimentation on a rolling basis. This technique not only rewards experimentation but also ensures that the most promising ideas receive the support they need to succeed.

4. Building Experimentation into Performance Reviews

In many organizations, performance reviews are heavily focused on achieving specific outcomes, hitting targets, and avoiding mistakes. However, if experimentation and innovation are core values, then they should be reflected in the performance evaluation process. By incorporating experimentation into performance reviews, managers can reinforce the importance of taking risks and exploring new ideas.

Managers can develop specific innovation metrics that are included in performance evaluations. For example, employees might be assessed on the number of new ideas they’ve proposed, the experiments they’ve conducted, or their contributions to innovation initiatives. These metrics encourage employees to actively engage in experimentation as part of their performance goals.
This approach can be tailored to different roles and levels within the organization. For example, junior employees might be evaluated on their participation in experimentation, while senior leaders might be assessed on how effectively they create environments that foster innovation. By building experimentation into performance reviews, managers send a clear signal that taking risks and pursuing innovation are key aspects of an employee’s success.

Beware of metrics, however, as they modify the behaviour, and it might not be in the exact direction you want.

5. Creating Cross-Functional Experimentation Opportunities

One of the most effective ways to spark experimentation is to bring together diverse perspectives and skill sets. Cross-functional teams can approach problems from different angles and generate more creative solutions. By facilitating collaboration across departments, managers can encourage experimentation that goes beyond the boundaries of individual roles and functions.

Managers can establish cross-functional innovation teams that bring together employees from different departments to work on experimental projects. For instance, a company might form a team that includes members from marketing, engineering, and product development to brainstorm new approaches to customer engagement. These teams can work together on short-term experiments or longer-term innovation initiatives.

As we know from other techniques such as the ICE session, cross-functional teams often produce more innovative solutions because they combine expertise from various fields. Additionally, these teams can help break down silos within the organization and create a culture of collaboration and experimentation across different functions.

 

Antifragility in Digital Innovation: Fail Fast, Fail Forward

Fail Fast refers to the idea of experimenting quickly and reaching failure points as early as possible. By failing fast, you avoid wasting time and resources on approaches that don’t work. The quicker you identify what doesn’t work, the sooner you can pivot and try something new.

Fail Forward emphasizes learning from failure and using it as a stepping stone toward future success. Rather than being paralyzed by failure, the “fail forward” approach encourages individuals and teams to extract valuable lessons and apply them to future endeavours. Failure, in this sense, is not the end of the journey but a critical part of the learning process. Easier said than done if you don’t turn around your mindset, of course.

In combination, these two ideas create a powerful framework for innovation and improvement. The emphasis is on rapid iteration, resilience, and continuous learning, all of which are key to thriving in uncertain and dynamic environments.

We have been so heavily warned against the risks of failure, however, that this might be easier said than done.Why should I fail?

Speed of Learning. One of the biggest advantages of the “fail fast, fail forward” approach is that it accelerates the learning process. When teams quickly test ideas, they can rapidly determine what works and what doesn’t, allowing them to iterate faster. This speed of learning is particularly valuable in competitive industries where being the first to innovate can be the difference between success and failure.

Minimizing Costs. By failing early in the process, teams can avoid investing too much time, money, or resources into ideas that ultimately don’t work. The sooner a failure is identified, the less costly it becomes. This is why tech startups often launch Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) to test the market quickly, learn from user feedback, and then iterate.

Encouraging Experimentation. The “fail fast, fail forward” philosophy encourages a culture of experimentation and risk-taking. When failure is accepted as part of the process, team members feel more empowered to try new ideas, push boundaries, and think creatively. This leads to innovation, as people are less afraid to challenge the status quo.

Building Resilience. Consistently applying the principles of “fail fast, fail forward” builds resilience in teams and individuals, and helps fostering the correct company culture. When failure is normalized as a learning experience rather than a cause for punishment, people become more adaptable and less afraid of setbacks. This resilience is crucial in fast-changing environments where agility and adaptability are key to long-term success.

Who’s doing it?

Startups. The startup world is perhaps the most well-known domain for the “fail fast, fail forward” mindset. Entrepreneurs are often advised to test their ideas quickly, gather data, and pivot based on feedback. The lean startup methodology popularized by Eric Ries emphasizes the importance of building MVPs, testing assumptions, and iterating based on real-world feedback. This approach helps startups avoid spending years developing a product that the market may not want, instead favouring rapid testing and adaptation.

Agile Development. Agile methodologies, especially in software development, embody the “fail fast, fail forward” philosophy: teams work in short sprints, delivering small, functional increments of software and receiving feedback at each stage. If something goes wrong, it’s caught early, and the team can adjust course quickly. This continuous cycle of development, feedback, and iteration allows the product to evolve and improve rapidly, making it more adaptable to users’ needs.

Innovation in Large Organizations. Even large, established organizations have begun adopting “fail fast, fail forward” principles to stay competitive in a fast-paced world. For example, companies like Google and Amazon encourage experimentation through initiatives like Google’s “20% time,” where employees can spend part of their work hours on passion projects that may or may not succeed. These companies understand that innovation often comes from taking risks and that not every experiment will pay off—but the ones that do can lead to significant breakthroughs.

Product Development. In industrial product development, prototyping is a common way to “fail fast, fail forward.” Companies create low-cost prototypes of new products to test their functionality, design, and user appeal before committing to full-scale production. This allows them to identify potential issues early and iterate on the design, ensuring that the final product is more robust and aligned with customer needs.

Education and Learning. The “fail fast, fail forward” approach can also be applied in educational settings. By encouraging students to experiment, make mistakes, and learn from them, educators can foster a growth mindset. Rather than punishing failure, the focus shifts to understanding why something didn’t work and how to improve. This approach not only enhances learning but also prepares students to handle real-world challenges where failure is often part of the journey to success.

Hey, it isn’t fun!

You’re right. While the “fail fast, fail forward” approach offers many benefits, it’s not without its challenges. Here are a few considerations you should keep in mind.

Risk Management: failing fast doesn’t mean being reckless, and it’s important to manage risks carefully, especially in industries where failure can have serious consequences (e.g., healthcare, finance, aerospace). In these environments, small-scale experiments and simulations can be a way to test ideas safely without exposing the entire system to potential failure.Psychological Safety: for the “fail fast, fail forward” approach to work, teams need to feel psychologically safe. If people are afraid of being blamed or punished for failure, they won’t take risks or share their mistakes. Leaders need to foster an environment where failure is viewed as a learning opportunity, not a cause for reprimand. This culture shift is essential for encouraging innovation and experimentation.Learning: it’s not enough to fail fast; the critical part of the equation is learning from failure. Teams need to have processes in place to analyze failures, extract insights, and apply those lessons to future efforts. Without this reflection, failure becomes meaningless, and the same mistakes are likely to be repeated.Balancing Speed and Quality: while speed is important, it shouldn’t come at the expense of quality. Failing fast is about accelerating learning, not cutting corners. It’s crucial to strike a balance between rapid experimentation and maintaining the standards necessary for long-term success.

 

Leveraging Antifragility in Digital Innovation

Yesterday we introduced the concept of Antifragility. Today let’s see some principles of using it in innovation, particularly digital innovation which thrives on disruption.

Embrace Uncertainty: companies that drive digital innovation often face volatility. By embracing uncertainty rather than fearing it, you allow space for creativity and evolution. For example, digital products like Instagram started as something entirely different and evolved based on user feedback and market demands.Iterative Development: following an antifragile approach means building systems that can evolve through iteration. Instead of launching a perfect product, launch a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and gather real-world data. This feedback loop lets the product grow stronger with each iteration, adapting to market needs.Diversification: companies like Google thrive because they invest in moonshot projects like AI, quantum computing, and self-driving cars. By diversifying, companies can leverage failures in one area to strengthen another.Fail Fast, Fail Forward: digital innovators need to internalize that failures aren’t the enemy—they’re opportunities for growth. Each failure teaches something new, pushing you closer to a breakthrough. Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes Into Stepping Stones for Success by John C. Maxwell (2007)

“Fail Fast, Fail Forward” is a mantra that has gained significant traction in the fields of technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation. At its core, it represents a mindset and strategy for tackling complex problems and fostering creativity by leveraging failure as a learning tool, and the approach is deeply interconnected with the principles of antifragility, where failure is not seen as a setback but as an essential part of growth and progress.

We’ll see more about it tomorrow.

Antifragility: an introduction

Antifragility is a concept that goes beyond mere resilience (the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape, which came to signify the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties) and robustness (the ability to withstand or overcome adverse conditions or rigorous testing without changing one’s shape). Both are overused terms I never particularly liked because they go against the idea of change, of allowing adversities and obstacles to change us and, ultimately, of learning from our mistakes. They promote an idea of macho toughness where A Real Man prevents anything (or anyone) from changing his mind. Nope. That’s not how it works. That’s not how it should work.

You Change the World when You Change your Mind (cit.)

Coined by Nassim Nicholas Taleb in his book Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder, the idea of Antifragility is that some systems, people, or ideas can actually get stronger when exposed to stress, chaos, or uncertainty. Unlike fragile systems that break under pressure or robust systems that merely withstand it, antifragile systems improve and thrive when challenged.
This mindset shift is critical in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing world: harnessing the principles of antifragility can help individuals and organizations not just survive but evolve and succeed. With Resilience being introduced in Risk Management (through ISO/TS 31050:2023), it might be interesting to dive into this more audacious concept.

To better understand antifragility, it helps to visualize it on a spectrum:

Fragile Systems are easily damaged by stress or change, like a delicate glass vase that shatters if dropped: they need stability and protection to avoid breaking down.Robust Systems usually can withstand shocks and stress without breaking, and they usually do this through that kind of elasticity we called “resilience”: an example might be the steel structure of a building that can endure earthquakes. Robust systems maintain their state under pressure, but they are afraid of change and made a virtue of maintaining their status quo through adverse weather.The advocated Antifragile Systems are like the human immune system, which learns and strengthens itself when exposed to pathogens, or muscles that become stronger after being stressed by exercise: they not only endure stress but actually become better because of it, they grow stronger, smarter, and more adaptive when exposed to challenges.

It’s worth mentioning that the distinction between resilience and antifragility is done by Taleb to distinguish his theory from existing frameworks like High Reliability Organization and Resilience Engineering that intend the term in combination with the ability to change. You can read a strong criticism on this aspect over here.

The concept of antifragility is not just a philosophical idea but a practical framework that can be applied to various systems, from businesses to biology, finance, and even personal development. To truly grasp antifragility, it’s essential to delve into the characteristics that define these systems and distinguish them from their fragile and robust counterparts. Let’s explore these core traits together.

1. Positive Response to Stress

One of the most distinctive characteristics of antifragile systems is their positive response to stress. Where fragile systems collapse under pressure and robust systems merely withstand it, antifragile systems go beyond mere survival—they improve and thrive because of the stress they endure. Stress, in this context, acts as a catalyst for growth.

Think of it this way: when a system encounters disorder, it doesn’t just return to its original state after the disruption; it becomes stronger and more capable. This process is visible in various domains. For example, in economics, companies that survive recessions often emerge leaner and more competitive because the stress forced them to innovate, streamline operations, or identify new opportunities. The very forces that could have broken them end up being the forces that propel them forward. I expanded on this concept during a series of online talks during the pandemic: as tough as it might sound, well-being rarely prompts innovation forward; crisis does.

The way Taleb articulates the concept in his book might open the door for a set of toxic management traits, like endlessly applying pressure on people in the hope of turning them around, and it’s crucial to remember that we need to protect people from stress or, at least, keep them in flow. If you overload them, you break them.

2. Feedback Loops: Learning from Experience

Antifragile systems are characterized by feedback loops that allow them to learn and adapt based on the stress they encounter. In these systems, failure is not seen as an endpoint but as a critical data point that informs future action. These feedback loops create dynamic processes where mistakes or disruptions are not only tolerated but actively used to drive improvement. Company Culture is crucial in this, and it’s worth recalling the three kinds of company culture according to DevOps:

Pathological organizations. Characterized by large amounts of fear and threat. People often hoard information, withhold it for political reasons, or distort it to make themselves look better. Failure is often hidden.Bureaucratic organizations are characterized by rules and processes, often to help individual departments maintain their “turf”, Failure is processed through a system of judgment, resulting in either punishment or justice and mercy.Generative organizations are characterized by actively seeking and sharing information to better enable the organization to achieve its mission. Responsibilities are shared throughout the value stream, and failure results in reflection and genuine inquiry. Company Cultures and How to Spot Them

A classical example is the one of aviation safety. Modern aviation is remarkably safe not just because of stringent regulations but because every accident, near miss, and anomaly is meticulously analyzed, each incident provides feedback that leads to improved safety protocols, better technology, and more robust training programs; thus, the system continuously evolves, using past failures as stepping stones toward future improvements.

A healthy feedback loop doesn’t happen by magic: here are some tricks, courtesy of GetSession.3. Redundancy and Flexibility: The Power of Backup

An often overlooked but vital characteristic of antifragile systems is redundancy. Fragile systems operate on tight margins with little room for error. They lack backups and alternatives, which makes them vulnerable to shocks. Antifragile systems, on the other hand, incorporate redundancy as a safeguard against unexpected events, and this redundancy allows them to absorb shocks without collapsing.

Redundancy can take many forms. In finance, it might mean holding diverse investments to avoid over-reliance on any single asset. In biological systems, it might mean having backup systems that ensure survival if one pathway fails. Human bodies, for instance, have redundant organs and systems, such as the kidneys, where losing one doesn’t result in immediate failure.

But redundancy alone isn’t enough. Flexibility is also crucial. Antifragile systems are adaptable; they can adjust to changing conditions rather than rigidly adhering to a single course. In technology development, flexibility often manifests through iterative design processes, where software is continuously updated based on user feedback, making it increasingly resilient to bugs and vulnerabilities.

4. Asymmetric Upside: Benefiting Disproportionately from Positive Events

Antifragile systems are also designed to benefit disproportionately from positive events while minimizing downside risks from negative ones. This asymmetric upside is a critical feature that allows these systems to capitalize on volatility and unpredictability.

In financial markets, for example, the barbell strategy illustrates this principle well: investors might allocate the majority of their capital to very safe investments while placing a small portion in highly speculative, high-reward opportunities. The safe investments protect against downside risk, while the speculative ones offer outsized potential rewards. The result is a system that limits losses but is positioned to gain significantly from positive events.

This asymmetric dynamic is what makes antifragile systems thrive in uncertainty. Instead of fearing volatility, they embrace it because it offers opportunities for outsized gains.

Picture by HMMRmedia (see here for their critical perspective on “Why the barbell strategy fails in sports performance” by Martin Bingisser)5. Adaptation and Evolution: Continuous Improvement

Perhaps the most dynamic characteristic of antifragile systems is their capacity for adaptation and evolution. These systems are not static; they are fluid and continuously evolving in response to the challenges they face. Stressors, in this context, act as inputs that drive the system’s evolution, leading to continuous improvement over time.

This principle is evident in natural ecosystems. In nature, species adapt to their environment through the process of natural selection. Predators become faster, prey becomes more evasive, and the entire ecosystem evolves as each species adapts to the challenges posed by the others. This constant state of adaptation creates a dynamic balance that makes the ecosystem more resilient to shocks… up to the point where the shock is too great, at least.

In business, companies that adopt an antifragile approach encourage experimentation, iteration, and adaptation. They are willing to pivot and evolve as market conditions change. This adaptability is what allows them to thrive in volatile environments where less flexible companies might falter.

6. Embracing Stress as Information: The Growth Mindset

As already explored when it comes to the feedback loop, antifragile systems view stress as information—a source of valuable insights that can lead to improvement. This mindset shift is critical because it transforms the perception of stress from something to be avoided into something to be embraced and learned from (and we’ve also seen the pitfalls of that).

In practical terms, this means that antifragile systems are always in a state of learning. Mistakes, disruptions, and challenges are not seen as setbacks but as opportunities to gather information and make the system stronger. This is the essence of a growth mindset, where challenges are viewed as catalysts for personal and organizational development.

For instance, in the tech world, companies often run stress tests on their systems to identify weak points. These tests are not designed to break the system but to reveal areas for improvement. The stress itself provides valuable data that allows the system to become stronger and more resilient.

 

What’s up next

In the following days we’ll see some applications of antifragility in the realms of production management, team management and change management.

The picture in the header is part of an amazing series of pictures by Martin Klimas, in which he captures the exact breaking moment of a series of porcelain figurines.

Are We Old Yet?

During this month of relative calm, I was reflecting that many of the tools we use to manage teams and projects were born between the 80s and the 90s: most of the Agile family including Scrum (conceptualized in the 1980s with the term being introduced in 1986); the Seven Thinking Hats which evolved from Edward de Bono’s original concept of Six published in 1985; Human-Centered Design with IDEO’s toolkits from the 80s, Extreme Programming (XP) from 1996 and the core concepts of LEGO Serious Play (LSP) from the same year. Some frameworks are even older, like Design Thinking from the 60s, Iterative and Incremental Development (IID), which Winston Royce advocated in his 1970 paper, and Kanban from as early as the late 1940s.

What’s my point?
My point is that we’re being “innovative” by using tools that are older than the very people in our teams.

Plus, I’m almost the same age as Darth Vader in the 1977 Star Wars, and if that doesn’t speak “establishment”, I don’t know what does.

What can we do about it?

In preparation for my upcoming Autodesk University lecture on October 15th, which is based on the Three Horizons Theory (1999) and the Real-Time Change Lego Serious Play evolution (2020s), I thought I’d make an extra effort, and throughout September, I’ll be showcasing a series of tools and frameworks that aren’t old enough to drink. Some of them will be old friends, like DevOps (2007), the Design Sprint concepts (2010s), and the Lightning Decision Jam (2017). Others will be entirely new, like the concept and frameworks related to Antifragility (2012), recent developments in the field of Organizational Improvisation (in truth evolved from 2002), and Slow vs Fast Thinking (2011). The focus will always be on Innovation Management, with particular stress on Fostering Diversity, People-Centric Management and Flexibility.

Are you ready? Let’s make September all about innovation.
Some of the articles will also be published in Italian, as the project is developed in cross-over with my activities for the Forma Mentis Training Centre, the Event Horizon School of Digital Arts and the Rams Milano, my local American Football Team.

Confessions of a Mask

This next novel will be my first I-novel ever; of course, it won’t be an I-novel of the Literary Establishment sort, but it will be an attempt to vivisect myself in which I will turn on myself the blade of psychological analysis that I have honed for the hypothetical figure so far. I will aim for as much scientific accuracy as I can; I will try to be Baudelaire’s so-called ‘victim and executioner.

I’m reading Yukio Mishima‘s Confessions of a Mask (Kamen no Kokuhaku), and I think his depiction of the early discovery of being sexually different (the narrator is gay) is one of the best I’ve ever read. Kochan, the protagonist, lists the cornerstones of his coming into awareness, and one of them is seeing the black-and-white picture of a painting of Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian. The sensual picture of the male body being killed haunts the young boy’s imagination. I give you a rough translation of the prose poem he includes to explain his experience.

Guido Reni’s Saint Sebastian is the painting in question.San Sebastiano – A Prose Poem

Once, through a classroom window, I noticed a medium-height tree swaying in the wind. As I watched, a dull rumble rose in my heart. It was a tree of unsettling beauty. It stood perpendicular on the lawn, a triangle softened by its roundness; the dense sense of its foliage rested on multiple branches that stretched upwards and outwards with the harmonious symmetry of a candelabrum’s arms. Beneath the vegetation stood a sturdy trunk, like an ebony pedestal. There it was, that tree, perfect and exquisitely shaped without losing any of the grace and sincerity of Nature, which maintained a serene silence as if it were its own maker. And yet, it was surely something created. Perhaps a musical composition. A piece of chamber music by a German master: music, a source of such religious and tranquil pleasure that you could only call it sacred, filled with the solemnity and vague sadness that mark the designs of noble tapestries…

And so, the analogy between the form of the tree and the musical sounds took on a certain meaning for me. There should be little surprise, then, if when I was assailed by both at once, stronger in their alliance, my indescribable, mysterious emotion must have been akin not to lyricism but to that sinister rapture found in the union of religion and music.

Suddenly, I asked myself: Was it not this very tree… the tree to which the young saint was tied with his hands behind his back, along whose trunk his sacred blood trickled drop by drop like a light drizzle after the rain? That Roman tree upon which he writhed in the throes of his final agony, as his young flesh painfully scraped against the bark, offering his last testimony of all earthly joy and sorrow?

In traditional martyrologies, it is said that during the period following the ascension of Diocletian to the throne, when the emperor dreamed of wielding power as limitless as the free flight of birds, a young captain of the Praetorian Guard was imprisoned and accused of the crime of serving a forbidden god. That young man had a lithe body that recalled the famous Eastern slave dear to Emperor Hadrian and the eyes of a conspirator, unshaken like the sea. He possessed an enchanting arrogance. He used to wear a white lily on his helmet, a gift brought to him every morning by some virgins of the city. And that lily, which gracefully fell along with his abundant, virile hair as he rested from the relentless stares, resembled the nape of a swan’s neck in a surprising way.

No one knew his place of birth, nor his origin. But anyone who saw him instinctively knew that this young man, with the physique of a slave or the bearing of a prince, was a pilgrim who would soon disappear. It seemed to people that this Endymion was the shepherd leading his flock; that he was the king chosen to discover a pasture greener than any other.

Moreover, there were maidens who were firmly convinced that he had come from the sea because the roar of the sea could be heard within his chest, because his pupils held glimmers of the mysterious and eternal horizon that the sea imprints like a pledge of love in the eyes of those born along its shores, who are forced to leave them; because his sighs were as sultry as the sea breezes during the scorching sun, and smelled of seaweed cast ashore.

This was Sebastian, the young head of the Praetorian Guard. And was beauty like his not perhaps destined for death? Perhaps the robust matrons of the new Republic had trained their taste for the good wine that made the bones tremble with the flavour of crimson, blood-red roses, who immediately sensed his scent under the stars, all in one instant, and didn’t love him for that very reason? His blood surged in a race, more furious than usual beneath his white flesh, ready to spill forth at any moment as soon as that flesh was slashed.

How could those women not hear the tempestuous desires of such blood?
His fate was not one to be pitied. No, it was not a miserable fate in any way. It was, if anything, tragic and proud, a fate that we might even call splendid.
Upon reflection, it seems likely that more than once, even in the full sweetness of a kiss, a premonition of ultimate agony crossed his forehead like a fleeting shadow of pain.
Moreover, he must have foreseen, however vaguely, that martyrdom, no more and no less, was lying in wait along his path; that this very mark imprinted by Fate upon him signified his detachment from all ordinary men on earth.
On the morning we speak of, Sebastian kicked off the covers and jumped out of bed at dawn, driven by various martial duties. There was a dream that had visited him at dawn—ominous magpies that crowded upon his chest, covering his mouth with their flapping wings—and it had not yet completely faded from his pillow. But the rough creaking in which he lay every night spread a fragrance of seaweed cast ashore; and so a scent like that would certainly have continued to lull him through a long sequence of nights filled with dreams of the sea and boundless horizons.
While he lingered by the window and donned his creaking armor, Sebastian noticed, on the opposite side of the street, a temple surrounded by a grove, and in the high sky above, he saw the constellation named Mazzaroth descend. The young man gazed at the magnificent pagan temple, and meanwhile, in the thin arch of his dark brows, an expression of intense disdain appeared, almost bordering on suffering, which suited his beauty well.
Unexpectedly, at the name of the one true God, Sebastian quietly intoned a few terrible verses from the sacred scriptures. And lo, his voice continued with a few terrible verses from the sacred scriptures.

And behold, as if the softness of his song multiplied a thousandfold and echoed with majestic resonance, he heard a powerful moan rising up, undoubtedly from that cursed temple, from those rows of columns that split the radiant skies. It was a sound similar to that of a strange gathering collapsing into fragments, reverberating against the celestial dome studded with stars.
Sebastian smiled and lowered his eyes toward a spot beneath the window. There was a group of virgins secretly ascending to his chambers for the morning prayers, as they always did in the pre-dawn twilight. And each virgin held in her hand a lily still asleep, with all its petals closed…

Iniziare / Smettere / Migliorare

È possibile portare avanti con successo un debriefing in un’ora e mezza sull’attività di una stagione intera? In birreria, per di più, radunando dieci persone di età, background e caratteri profondamente diversi. Certo che è possibile e l’abbiamo fatto alla fine della scorsa stagione insieme al gruppo dei Rams Milano che si occupa della comunicazione, nel nostro locale preferito a due passi dal campo ovvero l’Impronta Birraia di Novegro.

Obiettivo principale: fare il punto sull’attività della stagione e sui progressi fatti dal punto di vista della comunicazione rivolta all’esterno
Obiettivo secondario: raccogliere feedback puntuali sulle attività svolte e raccogliere proposte di miglioramento o di integrazione per la stagione che sta per cominciare

Come? Con una briciola di design thinking

Il Design Thinking è un approccio all’innovazione e alla risoluzione di problemi complessi, che mette al centro il pensiero creativo e l’empatia. È un processo iterativo e collaborativo che combina il pensiero progettuale con metodologie di problem-solving, utilizzato per sviluppare soluzioni innovative in vari campi, come la progettazione di prodotti, servizi, esperienze e processi.

Per chi lavora in Agile, l’attività prende il nome di retrospettiva e consiste in un workshop strutturato, generalmente guidato da un facilitatore, durante il quale i pensieri vengono stimolati tramite l’utilizzo di un framework che li categorizza e mette in relazione.

Gli elementi principali di una retrospettiva sono:

riflessione sul passato: il team riflette su ciò che è andato bene e ciò che potrebbe essere migliorato;identificazione dei miglioramenti: si discutono idee e soluzioni per migliorare le performance del team o del processo;pianificazione delle azioni: si stabiliscono azioni concrete da implementare nel prossimo ciclo di lavoro.

In genere, una retrospettiva si sviluppa in 5 fasi:

Inizio: il facilitatore prepara il team per la sessione, creando un ambiente collaborativo e sicuro;Raccolta di dati: il team raccoglie i punti di vista su ciò che è successo durante il periodo di lavoro;Generazione di approfondimenti: il team cerca di comprendere perché si sono verificati certi eventi o si sono innescate certe dinamiche, e identifica modelli o problemi ricorrenti;Decisione delle azioni: il team elabora un piano d’azione concreto per migliorare il modo di lavorare nel prossimo ciclo;Chiusura: la retrospettiva si conclude con una riflessione finale sull’incontro stesso e sull’efficacia del processo.

Ma non basta mettere le persone intorno a un tavolo e dire loro “ecco gli argomenti: discutete.” Esistono numerosi framework di retrospettiva: il cosiddetto framework delle “4 L” ad esempio (Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed For), in cui il team riflette su ciò che è piaciuto (Liked), su ciò che si è imparato (Learned), su cosa è mancato (Lacked), e su cosa avrebbero desiderato avere (Longed For), oppure quello noto come “Mad, Sad, Glad”, in cui il focus è sulle emozioni e si dividono le esperienze tra ciò che ha fatto arrabbiare (Mad), ciò che ha reso tristi (Sad) e ciò che ha reso felici (Glad).

Nel gruppo abbiamo usato una variante del framework Start, Stop, Continue, che potremmo chiamare Start, Stop, Improve.

Start, Stop, Continue

Si tratta di un modello semplice ma potente, che consente al team di riflettere su ciò che sta accadendo o si è verificato durante un ciclo di lavoro che è destinato a ripetersi (come una fase di un processo iterativo o, appunto, una stagione di produzione) e identificare azioni concrete per migliorare il processo.

Questo framework divide la riflessione in tre categorie principali, come potrete intuire:

1. Start (Iniziare a fare)

In questa fase, il team discute delle nuove attività pratiche o dei nuovi comportamenti virtuosi che dovrebbero essere introdotti per migliorare il flusso di lavoro. È un’opportunità per proporre idee innovative e soluzioni che non sono state ancora sperimentate.

Alcuni esempi di domande possono essere:

Quali nuove pratiche dovremmo iniziare a implementare?C’è qualcosa che non abbiamo mai fatto ma che potrebbe aiutarci a raggiungere i nostri obiettivi più velocemente?Ci sono idee, tecnologie o strumenti che non abbiamo ancora provato ma che potrebbero essere utili?2. Stop (Smettere di fare)

In questa fase, il team individua le attività pratiche o i comportamenti che stanno ostacolando il flusso di lavoro o che non apportano più valore. L’obiettivo è metterle sul tavolo per valutare la possibilità di eliminarle perché risultano inefficaci, o addirittura dannose.

Alcuni esempi di domande possono essere:

Quali attività stanno rallentando il nostro progresso?Ci sono processi che non portano valore aggiunto e che dovremmo abbandonare?Quali abitudini o comportamenti non sono utili al team?3. Continue (Continuare a fare)

In questa fase, il team identifica le attività pratiche o i comportamenti virtuosi che stanno funzionando bene e che dovrebbero essere mantenuti. Si tratta di riconoscere ciò che già porta valore e assicurarsi che venga preservato o potenziato.

Alcuni esempi di domande possono essere:

Quali pratiche ci stanno aiutando a lavorare meglio e dovremmo continuare a portare avanti?Cosa sta funzionando bene e merita di essere preservato?Quali processi stanno portando risultati e devono essere mantenuti? Ci sono diversi modi di farlo: personalmente uso prop colorati per identificare le diverse classi e lascio del tempo per produrre idee in libertà nelle tre categorie, nell’ordine che i partecipanti preferiscono, ma si può anche fare una sezione per volta.La variante: Start, Stop, Improve

Nonostante il focus del framework sia comunque il miglioramento, abbiamo introdotto questa piccola variante perché volevamo spingere ancora di più sul miglioramento e perché si trattava del primo vero incontro del gruppo. Difficile quindi, per un gruppo informale di volontari che si incontra da così poco, avere dei processi che valga la pena preservare così come sono. Tutto può essere migliorato. Sostituendo “Continue” con “Improve”, spinge il team a non limitarsi semplicemente a mantenere ciò che funziona, ma a esplorare come renderlo ancora più efficace.

Lo shift mentale è implementabile anche in altre circostanze e consente di porre l’accento su:

Miglioramento Continuo (uno dei requisiti del lavoro in qualità). Sostituendo “Continue” con “Improve”, questo si mette l’accento sull’idea di non accontentarsi mai dello status quo, anche quando qualcosa funziona bene. L’obiettivo non è solo mantenere ciò che funziona, ma trovare sempre nuove opportunità per perfezionarlo. Questo aiuta il team a rimanere innovativo e a migliorare costantemente le proprie prestazioni.Evitare la stagnazione. A volte, nel contesto di “Continue”, può esserci una tendenza a diventare compiacenti riguardo a pratiche che sembrano funzionare. Tuttavia, queste pratiche potrebbero perdere efficacia nel tempo, o ci potrebbero essere modi migliori per farle. “Improve” incoraggia il team a riesaminare continuamente anche ciò che funziona, per evitare la stagnazione.Ottimizzazione delle risorse. Riflettere su come migliorare le attività esistenti porta a un uso più efficiente delle risorse. Migliorare un processo già in atto può avere un impatto significativo in termini di produttività e qualità, senza richiedere necessariamente l’adozione di qualcosa di completamente nuovo.Adattabilità e Innovazione. La mentalità “Improve” favorisce l’adozione di una cultura di innovazione e adattabilità, necessarie per affrontare ambienti in continua evoluzione. Il team viene incoraggiato a guardare oltre il semplice mantenimento delle pratiche attuali e a cercare attivamente modi per adattarsi e crescere in risposta ai cambiamenti del mercato o delle esigenze interne.Coinvolgimento del team. Chiedere al team di riflettere su come migliorare ciò che già funziona può aumentare il senso di coinvolgimento e proprietà delle pratiche di lavoro. Invece di seguire passivamente pratiche consolidate, i membri del team diventano attori proattivi nel loro perfezionamento.Riduzione delle inefficienze nascoste. Anche quando un processo sembra funzionare, potrebbe avere margini di miglioramento che non sono evidenti a prima vista. Concentrarsi sul miglioramento aiuta a scoprire inefficienze o potenziali problemi nascosti, che altrimenti potrebbero passare inosservati.

Ecco quindi come si sviluppa la terza categoria.

3. Improve (Migliorare ciò che stiamo già facendo)

Invece di limitarsi a “continuare” ciò che funziona, il team è incoraggiato a riflettere su come migliorare ulteriormente quelle pratiche che sono già efficaci, cercando opportunità di ottimizzazione.

Alcuni esempi di domande possono essere:

Cosa stiamo già facendo bene e come potrebbe essere ulteriormente migliorato?Come possiamo rendere i nostri processi ancora più efficienti o meno dispersivi?Ci sono aspetti delle nostre pratiche attuali che potrebbero essere perfezionati per aumentare la qualità del nostro output?

 

Vedremo i risultati nella prossima stagione, che ormai è alle porte.

No Longer Human

Osamu Dazai (1909–1948) was a Japanese writer known for his deeply personal, existential, and often autobiographical fiction, and one of the most significant authors in modern Japanese literature.

A pen name for Shūji Tsushima, Osamu Dazai was born into a wealthy family in Kanagi and his life was marked by turmoil and tragedy, with a history of repeated suicide attempts, addiction, and personal struggles, all of which influenced his work. He lived during a period of great upheaval in Japan, witnessing the rise of militarism, World War II, and Japan’s postwar reconstruction. His most famous works reflect a deep sense of alienation, depression, and the challenges of modern existence, and I already knew this from his The Setting Sun (Shayō), a novel about the decline of an aristocratic family during World War II.

That was a long time ago, and I’m glad I didn’t ready No Longer Human (Ningen Shikkaku), back then: I come from a deeply Catholic, middle-class family, and topics such as neurodivergence or diversity in general weren’t welcome in my youth. I probably wouldn’t have had the intellectual tools to understand it.

Trigger warnings for alcoholism, drug addiction, rape and suicide

No Longer Human

No Longer Human was written in 1948, serialized in the Japanese magazine Tenbō from April to June of that year before being published in book form by Chikuma Shobō later that year. The novel was completed shortly before Dazai’s own suicide in June 1948, adding a haunting finality to the work. Dazai died just a few days after the last part of the novel was published in Tenbō.

And No Longer Human is deeply autobiographical, reflecting Dazai’s personal struggles with depression, addiction, and a profound sense of alienation from society. The novel is written in the form of a series of notebooks belonging to the protagonist, Ōba Yōzō, a man who feels disconnected from humanity since his earlier youth and who constantly fails to conform to societal expectations. Ōba’s character parallels Dazai’s own life experiences, particularly his feelings of inadequacy, isolation, and self-destructive tendencies, and many events in the novel closely mirror Dazai’s own life, including his complicated relationships, suicide attempts, and experiences with substance abuse. This connection between the author and the protagonist gives the novel a raw, confessional tone that will hit you in the guts.

The narrative starts with the author describing his childish terror at the total lack of understanding of how his fellow humans function, his adult efforts to hide his own lack of comprehension behind the mask of a buffoon, his dismay at reading the dissonance between what people say and what people do. This evolves into dysfunctional and disconnected relationships, particularly with women, and I’ve read reviews saying No Longer Human is filled with misogyny, and that might be true, but if that’s what you’re focusing on… we might have read a different book.

This is a book of excruciating intensity, dark and hopeless, that is really difficult to recommend.
Yet it is so wonderful that I hope everyone has the opportunity to read it—and hate it, if this is how they heal.

Dazai’s Innovation in Literature

Dazai’s work is often classified as I-novel (shishōsetsu), a genre in Japanese literature that features highly autobiographical fiction. However, Dazai took this form to new heights by blending his personal life with universal themes of despair, alienation, and moral ambiguity, making his narratives feel both intimate and broadly relatable. Deeply interested in the conflict between traditional Japanese values and modern Western influences, he writes characters that often grapple with the loss of identity and the meaning of existence in a rapidly changing world. This is particularly evident in The Setting Sun, where the narrative stems from social aspects, while No More Human is more focused on the inner workings of a disconnected man. Influenced by Western literature and philosophy, particularly existentialism, Dazai incorporated symbolic and existential themes into his work. He questioned the nature of humanity, the concept of sin, and the possibility of redemption. His character in No More Human struggles with feelings of inadequacy and guilt, trapped in a world he can’t understand or control. He delves into the darkest corners of the human mind, often drawing on his personal experiences with depression and suicidal thoughts, and I don’t say that lightly: if you’ve ever been depressed, he will hold a mirror into your very soul and you shouldn’t read it if you aren’t sure you’ll be able to sustain the sight. His writing style, marked by a confessional tone and raw emotion, brought an unflinching realism to the portrayal of mental anguish.

Dazai’s work has profoundly influenced subsequent generations of Japanese writers, and his ability to blend personal experience with broader social and existential questions laid the groundwork for many postwar and contemporary authors. Writers like Haruki Murakami and Banana Yoshimoto have acknowledged the impact of Dazai’s introspective style and existential themes on their own work.

Jun’ichirō Tanizaki’s Shadows

Celebrated as one of the major figures in modern Japanese literature and nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1964, Jun’ichirō Tanizaki (1886-1965) was a Japanese author known for his exploration of themes such as female beauty and destructive erotic obsessions. His notable works exploring these themes include Naomi (1924), Some Prefer Nettles (1928), and The Makioka Sisters (1943-48), but I won’t talk about those.

Tanizaki’s writing often reflects the cultural tensions between Western influences and traditional Japanese values, and the essay In Praise of Shadows (1933) most preponderantly tackles these themes.

The essay reflects on Japanese aesthetics, emphasizing the beauty found in shadows and darkness, and argues that traditional Japanese culture thrived in subdued light, contrasting it with the harsh brightness of modernity which he believes diminishes the beauty of objects and spaces. It covers various aspects of Japanese life, including architecture and art, advocating for a deeper appreciation of nuance and imperfection, integral to the Japanese aesthetic philosophy of wabi-sabi. Architecture is one of the most interesting aspects covered, and the second one is theatre. Unfortunately he also talks about women and Chinese culture.

While he reflects on the aesthetics of traditional Japanese houses and the cultural values embedded in their design, Tanizaki contrasts the subtlety and simplicity of Japanese architecture with the more modern, Western influences that were increasingly prevalent during his time and expresses a deep appreciation for the muted, shadowed spaces of traditional Japanese houses, where the interplay of light and darkness creates a serene, contemplative atmosphere. He celebrates the use of natural materials, such as wood and paper, that age gracefully and gain character over time, and he values the way these materials interact with light to create soft, diffuse shadows. Tanizaki believes that the subdued lighting in Japanese interiors allows for a more nuanced experience of beauty, one that is closely tied to the passage of time and the natural world.

Tanizaki’s portion on theatre reveal his deep appreciation for the performing arts, emphasizing their role in Japanese culture. He often explored the relationship between theatricality and reality, reflecting on how performance can enhance the perception of beauty and emotion. Tanizaki appreciates how Nō theater, with its aesthetics based on shadow and diffuse light, is in harmony with his philosophy of appreciating beauty in shadows and darkness. The essay is considered a calm defense of Eastern civilization and its aesthetic traditions, in contrast to the excessive brightness of Western modernity.

“Noh theater is also substantiated by shadows.”

So far so good.

Unfortunately, Tanizaki also discusses women in the context of traditional Japanese aesthetics, emphasizing their beauty as enhanced by shadows and generally approaching them as inanimated objects whose sole purpose is aesthetical. He notes that women lived much of their lives in dimly lit spaces, which contributed to their pale complexions and ethereal presence, without even considering their feelings, let alone their health, and describes how cultural practices such as the use of green-black lipstick, blackening their teeth and the concealment of their skin were designed to highlight their whiteness in the soft light of candles, creating an alluring and otherworldly beauty. This interplay of light and shadow is central to his exploration of Japanese aesthetics and femininity and is placed roght afterward the discussion on food, lacquered objects and clothing.

There are differing views on whether Tanizaki was a nationalist. Some argue his interest in traditional Japanese aesthetics constitutes a form of cultural nationalism and a “return to Japan”. One view is that cultural nationalism is compatible with and even complicit with Western modernization and universalism. Tanizaki internalized and stabilized modernizing Western influences while asserting traditional aesthetics. If you take a look at how he portrays Chinese culture, however, appropriation and ouvert idealization of Eastern culture as a whole identity with Japan at the forefront.

 

#MerfolkMonday: “The Fish and the Ring”

There’s a tale by this title in Andrew Lang’s The Blue Fairy Book, and that’s closely related to the tale “The Fisherman and His Wife” collected by the Brothers Grimm. It’s also sometimes known as “The Enchanted Fish”. This tale however is a different one, collected by Joseph Jacobs in English Fairy Tales (1890). Its origin seems to be Scottish, and Jacob’s source was an Appendix in Notes on the Folk-Lore of Northern Counties of England and the Borders by William Henderson (1886). According to this source, the Appendix was written by Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould, an eccentric savant who claimed the story dated back to the XVI Century. The Cruel Knight And the Fortunate Farmer’s Daughter is the probable source for this tale: a ballad where it’s said that the girl was born around 1619.

Here’s what’s the story about. You can also read it on my Patreon.

In the rugged lands of the North Country, where the winds whispered tales of old through ancient forests and desolate moors, there lived a mighty baron known throughout the land as a man of great power and even greater knowledge. He was said to possess the ability to gaze into the very threads of destiny, unravelling the secrets of what was yet to come. In the solitude of his chamber, surrounded by the shadows of candlelight, the baron would often peruse the pages of the mysterious Book of Fate, a tome of esoteric knowledge and prophecies.

One fateful day, as the morning mist still clung to the earth and his young son played innocently in the castle courtyard, the baron felt a chill of foreboding. Compelled, he consulted the Book of Fate to divine the future of his cherished heir. To his utter dismay, the revelations were not what he desired; the pages whispered of a union between his noble son and a maid of lowly birth—a child who had only just been born beneath the shadow of York Minster. Her father was the poorest of men, burdened with five children already, each vying for the meagre sustenance his labour could provide.

Determined to alter the course set by fate itself, the baron summoned his horse and rode to the city of York. Upon arriving, he sought the humble dwelling of the maid’s family. There, seated in despair by his doorstep, was the maid’s father, his shoulders slumped beneath the weight of his struggles. The baron dismounted, approached the man and inquired, feigning compassion, “What troubles you, my good man?”

The man replied, “Your honour, I am at my wit’s end. Five children I have, and now a sixth, a little lass, has entered this world. But where shall I find the bread to fill their hungry mouths? That I cannot say.”

The baron, seizing the opportunity, offered solace. “Despair not, for I can ease your burden. I shall take the last little one, and you need not trouble yourself further.”

Grateful, the man thanked the baron and brought forth his newborn daughter, entrusting her to the nobleman’s care. The baron, mounting his steed again, rode away with the child and steeled his heart against any possible compassion.

As the river Ouse flowed beneath the pale light of dawn, the baron paused upon its banks. With a heart as cold as the waters, he cast the child into the depths, believing he had thwarted destiny.

The river, however, cradled the infant in its gentle embrace. The child’s garments buoyed her upon the currents, guiding her toward a humble fisherman’s hut nestled by the river’s edge.

There, the fisherman, a man of simple heart and honest labour, discovered the babe as her soft wailes mingled with the rustle of reeds. Moved by compassion, he took her into his home as the daughter he never had, and there she grew in grace and beauty, a child of the river and the wild. Years passed, and the girl blossomed into a young woman of surpassing beauty and strong spirit. She spent her days helping her father and tending to his house with a joyful heart.

One fateful day, however, the baron and his retinue set forth on a hunting expedition along the banks of the Ouse. Thirsty from their sports, they eventually stopped at the fisherman’s hut, seeking refreshment, and the girl came out of the house to offer them water. Her beauty immediately captivated the attention of the whole group, and one among the company jested with the baron: “You who read the threads of fate, Baron, tell us, whom shall this maiden wed?”.

The baron replied with disdain. “Some simple yokel, no doubt. But let us indulge in this game, if you wish. Come here, girl, and tell me the day of your birth.”

The girl responded, “Sir, I know not the day of my birth, for I was found by this very river some fifteen years ago.”

Realization dawned upon the baron, and when they went away, he rode back and said to the girl: “Hark ye, girl, I shall see to your fortune. Take this letter to my brother in Scarborough, and your future shall be secured.”

He wasn’t lying. The girl, unsuspecting, accepted the letter with gratitude and set forth on her journey, but this is what he had written inside:

‘DEAR BROTHER,–Seize the bearer and put her to death immediately.
Yours affectionately,
HUMPHREY.’

As fate would have it, the path she tread was fraught with danger, and a band of robbers seized her by the inn where she was spending the night. Finding naught but the letter upon her, they read its cruel contents and were either moved by pity or by disdain for the noble’s villainy. They resolved to alter its course. The captain of the robbers took a pen and paper and wrote this letter:

‘DEAR BROTHER,–Take the bearer and marry her to my son immediately.
Yours affectionately,
HUMPHREY.’

Then they gave it back to the girl, without saying they had altered its content, and let her free to continue her journey.

With the forged missive, the girl continued to Scarborough, unaware of the plot. Upon her arrival, she presented the letter to the baron’s brother, a noble knight of honourable bearing who dutifully arranged for the marriage to his nephew.

Soon after, the Baron himself came to his brother’s castle, and what was his surprise to find the very thing he had plotted against had come to pass.

Yet, the baron, consumed by rage, refused to concede to fate.

Feigning happiness, he invited the girl on a walk along the perilous cliffs overlooking the roaring sea. In that lonely expanse, he grabbed her by the arm and intended to cast her into the fathoms below.

But the innocent girl pleaded for her life. “I have done no wrong,” she implored, “If you spare me, I shall abide by your wishes, and I shall not lay eyes upon you or your son until you desire it.”

The baron relented, but not without a binding challenge. He removed a gold ring from his finger and hurled it into the sea, declaring, “Never let me see your face until you can present me with this ring.” With that, he released her to wander the world alone.

Lost and adrift, the girl travelled the lands until she found herself at the gates of a great noble’s castle. There, she sought refuge and offered her labour in exchange for shelter. Her hands, accustomed to hard work from her life with the fisherman, took readily to the tasks of a scullion girl.

Time flowed like a river. One day, as she laboured in the noble’s kitchen, she froze at a sight that made her heart quicken—her husband, the baron’s son, accompanied by his father and uncle, had come to visit the great house.

Her spirit trembled with hope and trepidation, for she dared not reveal herself lest the baron’s wrath be rekindled. Retreating to the shadows of the scullery, she focused on her task to prepare a grand fish for the noble’s feast.

As her hands worked deftly, a glint of something unexpected caught her eye. Within the belly of the fish lay the baron’s ring, the very one he had cast into the sea.

With the meal prepared and presented, the noble guests marvelled at the dish’s quality and flavour. Their curiosity piqued, they summoned the cook and ordered her to reveal herself.

As she stepped into the light of the grand hall, the enraged baron rose from his seat. Yet the girl approached the table and laid before him the golden ring, gleaming in the candlelight.

In that moment, the baron recognized the folly of resisting destiny.

At last, the baron extended his hand to the girl, granting her a place of honour beside her husband, and he declared to all present that she was indeed his son’s rightful wife. And he took her and his son home to his castle, and they all lived happily as could be.

Here are Jacobs’ notes on the original story.

SOURCE Henderson, l.c., p. 326, from a communication by the Rev. S. Baring-Gould. There is a similar legend told of Stepney Church.

PARALLELS ‘Jonah rings’ have been put together by Mr Clouston in his Popular Tales, i, 398, etc.; the most famous are those of Polycrates, of Solomon, and the Sanskrit drama of Sakuntala, the plot of which turns upon such a ring. ‘Letters to kill bearer’ have been traced from Homer downwards by Prof. Köhler on Gonzenbach, ii, 220, and ‘the substituted letter’ by the same authority in 0cc. u. Or., ii, 289. Mr Baring-Gould, who was one of the pioneers of the study of folk-tales in this country, has given a large number of instances of ‘the preordained marriage’ in folk-tales in Henderson, l.c.

REMARKS The tale is the feminine form of the legend of “The Man Born to be King,” familiar to us from Mr Morris’s setting in his Earthly Paradise. He derived this from Nouvelles Françoises du Treizième Siècle, which he has himself translated under the title Old French Romances. In my introduction to his translation I have pointed out that this particular romance has a Byzantine source, an Ethiopic version of which has recently been discovered by Dr E. Kuhn. The story is, indeed, told under the title of Constant the Emperor as a sort of folk etymology of the name Constantinople. It seems probable that the tale was thus brought from Byzantium to France and England and became localised in different forms at Stepney and York. Curiously enough, the letter to ‘kill bearer’ is found in India, and is, of course, familiar from the Iliad. But whatever its ultimate source, there can be little doubt that this tale is more immediately derived from the Byzantine Romance of the Emperor Constant.

 

The beautiful ring in the header is by Melissa Chen.