Floris and Blancheflour is the name of a popular romantic story that was told in the Middle Ages in many different vernacular languages and versions. It first appears in Europe around 1160 in "aristocratic" French. The poem tells of the troubles of the two eponymous lovers. Blancheflour ("white flower") is a Christian princess abducted by Saracens and raised with the pagan prince Flores ("belonging to the flower"). The story contains elements of both older heroic sagas and romance, and themes of conflict between paganism and Christianity. Additionally, unlike other Romances, each section of the story is dependent strictly upon the previous section, so this poem has a linear plot. The poem also emphasizes the power of romantic love over force of arms to preserve life and ensure a good end. Roughly between the period 1200 and 1350 it was one of the most popular of all the romantic plots. The Middle English version of the poem derives from an Old French "aristocratic" version but differs somewhat in details. The opening section concerning how the two are born is missing from the English versions.