Like the texts discussed in the previous chapters, the romance Paris et Vienne was widely disseminated in the late Middle Ages, which is reflected by the large number of preserved manuscripts and prints of the text. This tale exists in French, Italian, English, Dutch, German, Catalan, Spanish, Latin, Mozarabic with Almajiado script, Russian, Armenian, Romanian, Yiddish and Swedish. The Old Swedish Riddar Paris och Jungfru Vienna, from the sixteenth century, is often held to mark the end of the tradition of courtly literature in Sweden – and significantly, it was never finished. The translator only wrote the actual opening of the tale: his version contains no more than 208 lines, written in cross-rhymed verse, and is preserved only in D 2. In these opening lines, masculinity and love stand out as the most significant themes. I will discuss how this focus might be understood, and then relate it to the likely Low German source text and the French versions of the same narrative. I will also draw parallels with the English and Italian traditions. My analysis will cover the Old Swedish notion of mandom and the themes of kingship, knighthood, friendship and love.

Like Floire et Blancheflor, the French Paris et Vienne is commonly considered an idyllic romance, a genre typically centred on a couple that has to overcome parental opposition before they can finally marry. Despite their common generic features, there are important differences between Floire et Blancheflor and Paris et Vienne: Floire et Blancheflor represents not only an older textual tradition, but also depicts two lovers who grow up together; Paris et Vienna, at least what is preserved of it, belongs to the later Middle Ages and its lovers first meet as adolescents. In both cases, however, the tales become European ‘bestsellers’ and straddle the boundary between medieval manuscript culture and the Renaissance's era of printing.

The noble Vienne, the only child of the powerful ‘Dauphin’ Godeffroy d’Alençon and his wife Dyane, is known for her great beauty and many men would like her as a wife. The young Paris, who like Vienne is an only child, loves her secretly, but since he is from a lower section of society – his father Jacques is one the Dauphin's knights – marriage is not appropriate, despite the fact that Vienne also loves him.