Hotié de Viviane, Megalithic tomb in Paimpont Forest, France

Hotié de Viviane is a megalithic burial chamber in Paimpont Forest, constructed from red schist slabs within a circular mound. The stone structure today sits partially covered with moss and lichen, giving it a weathered and ancient appearance.

The chamber was built between 3500 and 2500 BC, and radiocarbon dating of charcoal found on site narrowed this to 3355–2890 BC. It was excavated in 1982–1983 as part of a rescue programme for the Val sans retour. The site may have been occupied before the coffer was built, and a small flint-knapping workshop was found west of the cairn.

The name Hotié de Viviane replaced an older one, Tombeau des Druides, after 1850, when the Val sans retour was relocated to the nearby Val de Rauco. The link to Arthurian legend was first made by Blanchard de La Musse and later repeated by Félix Bellamy in 1896. Legend holds that the fairy Viviane kept Merlin imprisoned in an air prison here; another identifies the spot as Merlin's esplumoir.

Access is via a woodland trail starting from nearby Beauvais village that is straightforward to follow. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear since the ground can be damp and slippery depending on the season.

The chamber was emptied long before modern study, probably in the 19th century; a small mound of earth against the north wall may be spoil from that dig. Excavators still recovered coarse pottery sherds and a polished dolerite axe heel in the north-west corner, while the surrounding cairn yielded far richer material.