Which 12th-century French poet wrote Joseph d'Arimathie, one of the earliest Grail romances?

Robert de Boron wrote Joseph d'Arimathie, one of the earliest Grail romances. The poem presents the Grail within a strongly Christian story about Joseph of Arimathea, the biblical figure associated with Jesus's burial.

Boron’s work helped establish the Grail as a sacred relic rather than merely a mysterious object in an Arthurian adventure. Later writers expanded this religious connection and linked the vessel with the Last Supper and the Crucifixion.

The poem survives incompletely, and its dating is usually placed around the late 12th or early 13th century. Robert de Boron is often discussed alongside Chrétien de Troyes and Wolfram von Eschenbach, but they were different authors with different Grail traditions. Boron’s importance lies especially in giving the Grail a Christian origin story.