Robert de Boron was active in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries in France. His authorship of the Joseph d’Arimathie [Joseph of Arimathea] and the Merlin [Merlin] makes him one of the earliest and arguably most important contributors to the Grail story and Merlin legend. Both texts were widely adapted, translated, and read throughout the Middle Ages and beyond.
Little is known about Robert de Boron’s life beyond what he reveals in his writing. In his Joseph d’Arimathie, Boron mentions that he is writing for a certain Gautier de Montbéliard (lines 3489–94; see also Le Gentil 1959). His surname corresponds to the name of a village near Montbéliard in …
1746 words
Citation: Becker, Carina. "Robert de Boron". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 28 February 2023 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=15002, accessed 22 November 2024.]