Polish legends Legend about Lech, Czech and Rus Legend about Lech, Czech and Rus (how the land of Poland started to exist) Legend about Popiel and Piast Legend about Popiel and Piast Legend about the quarrel in neighboarhoods (our regional story) Legend about the quarrel in neighboarhoods (our regional story) Legend about Warsaw Marmaid Legend about Warsaw Marmaid

The legend about Lech, Czech and Rus Once upon a time there were three brothers Lech, Czech and Rus. Each of them was tall and handsome. Lech was honest and cheerful, Rus – serious and shy and Czech – very clever and fun loving.

They were looking for lands for their people.

Long time they were walking through woods, mountains and valleys. Finally, they found a beautiful lake which was reflecting the blue sky.

At the lake on a hill they saw a huge oak tree where was a nest of a white eagle.

When the bird saw the brothers, it flew high up in the air. Rus straightly took his bow and aimed at the eagle, but Lech stopped him. That was a sign.

Lech decided to settle there. He built there a castle town which he called Gniezno. The white eagle on the red background was made his symbol. (now it’s the national emblem of Poland) Czech and Rus went further. Rus settled in the east where he started the country for Russians and Czech settled in the south where he built the country for Czech people.

The legend about Popiel and Piast It happened in the times when prince Popiel was ruling in Gniezno. He organized a big party due to his sons’ first hair cutting. At this ceremony a boy was going from under mother’s care to father’s. Nearby the garden there lived a poor wheelwright Piast with his family. Together with his wife Rzepicha he was growing land. Piast’s son was just about 7 years old. As the tradition was he was also to have his first hair cutting.

For the party Piast invited many neighboars. There came also two strangers traveling around. Though Piast was poor he invited them for the meal, too. In the moment of the hair cutting ceremony one of the strangers approached the boy and christened him Siemowid. At the same time at prince Popiel’s ceremony they started to run out of food and drink. At the Piast’s house it was more and more of them. All the guests believed it was a good sign for Piast’s home. When Siemowid grew up, he became the prince. People thought Siemowid would be a wise and honest ruler as the gods were with him. Since that time the kings and princes of the Piast dynasty ruled for ages, and Popiel was eaten by mice.

The legend about the quarrel in neighboarhoods One day a lonely rider rapidly came to Koszalin. He directly approached the town hall to ask the town governors for help.

The fisher men from Uniescie were attacked and robbed by people from Kolobrzeg. They stole valuable salt, nets and fish. They said that only they could fish in the Baltic Sea. The people from Koszalin were really touched to hear it as their town had lots of trade interests in fishing.

Angry they ran towards Mscice. But the robbers took another way to run away. They wanted to mislead the chasers.

Nearby the Parnowskie Lake it came to a big battle. Koszalinians were strongly attacking and in a short time Kolobrzeg people were losing. Koszalin won the battle and the robbers left all the things they stole, weapons and their flag.

To remember the event, Koszalinians were celebrating the victory every year by hanging up the flag on the town hall tower. That was finally stopped when after a hundred years a man from Kolobrzeg named Antoni Schlieffer became the mayor of Koszalin. From that time both towns were trading, fishing and sailing together in harmony.

The legend about Warsaw Mermaid A long time ago, a dense forest covered the region of Mazowsze. One day, Prince Ziemomysl who ruled in this region, went out on a hunting trip and lost his way in the forest. He tried and tried to find a way out until he got to the banks of the Vistula river. In the waves of the river, the Prince saw a beautiful creature. The top half of her body was woman-like and the other one was a fish tale covered in fish scales. Even though she had a bow and arrow in her hands, she did not aim at the Prince. She told him to follow her arrow which will make him find good people who will give him shelter, food and help to find the way back home. And then she dived into the river. In the waves of the river, the Prince saw a beautiful creature. The top half of her body was woman-like and the other one was a fish tale covered in fish scales. Even though she had a bow and arrow in her hands, she did not aim at the Prince. She told him to follow her arrow which will make him find good people who will give him shelter, food and help to find the way back home. And then she dived into the river. Prince Ziemomysl did as Mermaid said. He followed the arrow and found a poor fisherman’s hut. His twins, Wars and Sawa cheerfully played their favourite games with the Prince. He was happy to find such good people living on his land. The next day it was time to say goodbye but before he left, the Prince told the people who he really was. He promised to build a town where the fishing village was and let the poor fisherman be the castellan, who would rule the town. The next day it was time to say goodbye but before he left, the Prince told the people who he really was. He promised to build a town where the fishing village was and let the poor fisherman be the castellan, who would rule the town. Years passed, many houses were built and the town was called Warszawa after the names of the poor fisherman’s twins, Wars and Sawa. On the town’s crest, the Prince placed the beautiful Mermaid who helped him. No one ever saw the legendary Mermaid. But they all heard her evening singing and they loved it. Except for the old hermit who lived in the forest on his own. He hated the Mermaid and her singing and believed that she stole people’s souls. He managed to persuade some fishermen that the Mermaid was dangerous. One night they waited for her on the river bank and when she started her beautiful song, they threw a fishing net and caught her. They put her into the hay barn for the night. The Mermaid started singing. She knew it was her last song and it was the saddest melody she had ever sung in her life. A young shepherd heard the song. He felt very sorry for the creature and decided to free her. He opened the door of the barn and let her go. She was never to be seen after that and no one has heard her singing since. The only proof of her existance is the image in the crest of the city of Warsaw.