German mythologist Jacob Grimm has traced the custom to Roman times and has argued that religious authorities tolerated it even after the Germans had been Christianised.
Pakar mitologi Jerman Jacob Grimm telah menelusuri kebiasaan-kebiasaan pagan hingga zaman Romawi dan berpendapat bahwa pihak yang berwenang atas agama/keyakinan menoleransi hal itu bahkan setelah Jerman mengalami kristenisasi.