Pariz un Viene (Paris and Vienna)

This Old Yiddish chivalric romance was first printed in Sabbioneta in 1556. Because of various similarities with the Bovobukh, many scholars attribute Paris un Viene to Elye Bokher. Indeed, both are written in ottava rima (eight-line stanzas with the rhyme scheme abacabcc), both are (significantly condensed) Yiddish adaptations of Italian chivalric tales that Judaize characters and details; they also share linguistic, structural, and rhyme elements. However, some argue that Paris un Viene was written after Elijah’s death, possibly by a member of his circle. Based on a tale that circulated extensively in medieval Europe and in various different versions, the romance describes the adventures of the knight Paris, who falls in love with the king’s daughter, Viene. However, the king does not agree to their marriage, and Paris is forced to flee the kingdom. Eventually (after numerous obstacles and the king’s attempts to find a different suitor for his daughter), the two are reunited and marry. In contrast to the famous Bovobukh, Paris un Viene did not achieve popularity among readers and fell into oblivion until it was rediscovered in the modern period.