Abstract
Abstract The monks of Glastonbury Abbey excavated what they claimed were the relics of Arthur and Guinevere in 1191 and installed them in a lavish tomb inside the Abbey. This article explores the material culture of this tomb, incorporating both its use in reality and its representation in Arthurian romance texts. In doing so, it argues that the creation of the tomb directly influenced the development of the Arthurian romance tradition. A survey of the surviving evidence shows that the tomb was presented as that of a real king, suggesting that its creators sought to emulate medieval royal tombs. This article therefore addresses surviving representations of the tomb as a space that is simultaneously both real and imagined.
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