In legend the Seething Festival first happened when the villagers of Seething celebrated Lefi Ganderson’s triumph over the evil giant Thamas Deeton. It was agreed then that the villagers would hold a festival once a year with a special one held when it is a leap year.
The Seething Festival has held an essential role for hundreds of years in bringing the whole community together. It was the ‘one day’ where the people could meet with each other and remind themselves of Lefi’s law. Unfortunately the festival died out in the early 20th century as people’s lives became busier and the ‘class society’ frowned on such a gathering. The last Festival was held in 1921 and the story of Lefi and indeed the Festival was forgotten.
The tale of Lefi Ganderson and his battle with the Giant has passed through the ages. Its core narrative appears in many folk tales such as ‘Jack and Beanstalk’ and the classic Norwegian legend ‘De Baby og de Gigantiske’.
But for many scholars the classic tale is still ‘The Goat Boy of Seething’. The ‘Legend of Lefi’ gives as clear a rendition of the saga as is possible. Unfortunately the Seething Festival and its community procession stopped in 1921 and the legend was last told to Seething folk in 1927.
To find out more you can email lefithegoatboy@yahoo.co.uk
or join the Facebook Group
