A beloved pet gerbil has had its body set aflame and pushed down a Somerset river in a Nordic funeral.
Nibbles, age three, was given a “proper mythic send-off” on November 7 after he died when his owners were sitting down to celebrate Samhain – the pagan feast of dead ancestors.
His owner, Emma Pickerill, from Glastonbury, said “it seemed like a particularly portentous time to go to the otherworld”.
The folk singer created a tiny pyre out of kindling wood, before setting the flaming remains downstream.
The mum-of-four went on: “It did start off as a joke suggestion but I loved the idea because of the timing of his passing.
“I’m a storyteller and I love the old Celtic and Norse myths so a proper mythic send off really struck a chord with me.
“My son Ben loves the Viking myths too so it seemed like the best way to give a fitting send off to our lovely little friend.”