The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

LEGEND ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF POLAND

THERE WAS AN OLD MAN AND HE LIVED IN ASIA AND HE HAD THREE SONS
WHOSE NAMES WERE LECH, CZECH AND RUS. AND THE OLD MAN DIED AND
HE DIDN'T LEAVE HIS SONS ANYTHING, SO THEY HAD TO GO OUT INTO THE
WORLD TO SEEK THEIR FORTUNES. SO THEY WENT TO EUROPE AND RUS
WENT NORTH AND FOUNDED RUSSIA AND CZECH WENT SOUTH AND FOUNDED
CZECHOSLOVAKIA. LECH KEPT GOING AND NIGHT CAME AND HE FOUND
HIMSELF IN A CIRCLE AROUND A CLEARING AND HE SAID, "I WILL ESTAB-
LISH A COUNTRY AND THIS WILL BE THE SYMBOL ON MY BANNER." AND
THIS IS HOW THE COUNTRY OF POLAND ORIGINATED.

Submitter comment: SHE LEARNED IT FROM PAN NOWAK WHO TAUGHT HER POLISH.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT