The name Czech is said to be derived from a mythical ancestor who settled in the lands that would become the Czech Republic named Cech. There are different sources surrounding the mythical figure of Cech, some Czech and some Polish. In the Wielkopolska Chronicle, a medieval chronicle about the history and origin of Poland, the legend of three brothers named Lech, Cech, and Rus is told. In the legend, all three brothers are the sons of a prince named Pan and the three brothers eventually left Pannonia (which consisted of western Hungary, western Slovakia, eastern Austria, and northern Croatia) and set out to become the ancestors of the Polish, Czechs, and Rus. The reasons for their setting out differ between the various sources. In some, they leave because of war and in others, it is because they are accused of murder and had to flee.

However, some sources do not include Rus as one of the brothers, instead only having Lech and Cech, who are the sons of Jan instead of Pan. Some of the Czech sources, such as the Davilimova Kronika and the Chronicles of Vaclav Hajek, say that Cech and Lech came out from Illyria and the lands of the Croats, while other sources never make mention of where they hail from. Regardless of wherever their origins were, it is said that Cech and Lech traveled from their original country with their families in pursuit of a land abundant with resources so that they and those with them could live in peace. In the Davilimova Kronika, Cech and his people reached the Říp Mountain and climbed it.

At the top of this mountain, Cech proclaimed that they had found their promise land and settled the area. His brother, Lech, continued northwards, eventually settling in the lands that would become Poland.

Written by James Travis

Sources:

“Lech, Czech, and Rus.” Wikipedia, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lech,_Czech,_and_Rus%27

Muscato, Christopher. “Czech Republic Ethnic Groups.” Study.com, 2016. https://study.com/academy/lesson/czech-republic-ethnic-groups.html

“Prague Myths and Legends.” Prague Eventery, 2023. https://pragueeventery.com/good-to-know/prague-myths-and-legends/

Reisman, Edward S. “The Absence of a Common-Descent Myth for Rus’.” Russian History 15, no. 1 (1988): 9–19. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24655843.