The legend is that Joseph of Arimathea, the man to whose tomb the crucified Christ was brought, was actually Jesus' uncle. And a tin miner. He often liked to visit the mines and sometimes he would bring along his more famous Nephew. He remains the patron saint of undertakers and tin miners for these two reasons.

There is an alleged history of Joseph after the crucifixion of Christ, one that plays a mighty role in English folklore. He traveled with Mary Magdalene to the north of France. From there, he set sail to Britain and established a church at Glastonbury. He brought with him a certain chalice from the Last Supper, which was the Holy Grail of Arthurian legend. Since the Bards place King Arthur's own castle at Glastonbury, the birthing of the association – complete with The Quest – has a certain romantic logic to it. Joseph planted his own staff at Glastonbury, which became a hawthorn tree that was supposedly 1650 years old. It was said to miraculously blossom every year on Christmas Eve. This was the kind of Catholic nonsense that so incensed the Puritans. But, just in case, the Puritans chopped it down before they left for America. Purity and immortality figure greatly in these legends. Sir Galahad was the only knight of sufficient moral strength to find the Holy Grail. He became spiritually immortal (and physically unearthly) as a result.