Lech, Czech and Rus

According to an old legend, Lech, Czech and Rus were eponymous brothers who founded the three Slavic nations: Poland (formerly also known as Lechia), ?echy or ?esko (known also as Bohemia - now the Czech Republic) and Ruthenia (Rus') respectively. In one of the legend's variations, the three brothers went hunting together but each of them followed a different prey and eventually they all travelled in different directions.

Related Topics:
Eponym - Slavic - Poland - Lechia - Czech Republic - Ruthenia - Rus'

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Rus went to the east, Czech headed to the west to settle on the ?íp Mountain rising up from the Bohemian hilly countryside, while Lech travelled to the north until he came across a magnificent white eagle guarding her nest. Startled but impressed by this spectacle, he decided to settle there. He named his settlement (gród) Gniezno (early Polish for "nest") and adopted the White Eagle as his coat-of-arms which remains a symbol of Poland to this day.

Related Topics:
?íp Mountain - Gród - Gniezno - Polish - White Eagle - Coat-of-arms

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Other variations of Lech's name include: Lechus, Lachus, Lestus and Leszek.

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Czech, or Praotec ?ech (Forefather ?ech) also comes under the Latin name Bohemus or German Böhm.

Related Topics:
Latin - German

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