Book excerpt: La matiere de Bretagne is a name given collectively to the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain; especially King Arthur and his knights and their association to the Grail. It is the link between the Grail stories and the legends of both King Arthur and Joseph of Arimathea and their connection to Glastonbury, the Island of Avalon, which is central to this investigation. The legend of King Arthur at Glastonbury is primarily derived from Geoffrey of Monmouth's mention of King Arthur's arrival at the Island of Avalon after his fatal fight with Mordred. It is the later bogus disinterment of King Arthur's manufactured grave at Glastonbury, which establishes Glastonbury's synonymy with Avalon. This volume sets out to show how the abbot of Glastonbury, Henry Blois, used Geoffrey of Monmouth as a nom de plume and concocted the epic tale from Brutus to Arthur which is now known as the 'History of the Kings of Britain' and was responsible for composing the Prophecies of Merlin"