 It has been speculated that such festivals have pre-Christian origins, such as in the Celtic festival of Beltane in the Celtic nations, and the Germanic celebrations during the Þrimilci-mōnaþ (literally "Three-Milking Month" or "Month of Three Milkings") in England.The custom attracted little attention outside of the town until 1907, when the folklorist Francis Etherington drew attention to it.In 1913 the folklorist Thurstan Peter wrote about it; influenced by the ideas of the anthropologist James Frazer, Peter argued that the 'Obby 'Oss custom might have once been a pre-Christian religious ritual designed to secure fertility.