The Truth is in the Hair

The following quote is from Giraldus Cambrensis who wrote On the Instruction of Princes (De instructione principum), writen in the 1190s. He is describing Arthur's tomb.

A golden handful of woman's hair was found there, retaining its fresh wholeness and radiance, but when a certain monk greedily reached out and grabbed it the hair dissolved into dust.

I picked this quote because there was some truth to it. It is true that delicate things, like hair, can hold its shape and not turn to dust if properly preserved, but the slightest disturbance, like an air current or breath, can cause the object to fall apart, instantly turning into dust. Even if the story was fiction, those writing about it and passing it on wanted it to be believable. As with any good lie, or story, it's in the details.

1962. 'Arthur's grave'. Radford and Peter Poyntz-Wright, from the south. Copyright: Peter Poyntz-Wright 

Lacy, Norris J., and James J. Wilhelm. The Romance of Arthur: an Anthology of Medieval Texts in Translation. Routledge, 2013. pp. 6