Lech, Czech, and Rus refers to a
founding myth of three Slavic peoples: the
Poles (or
Lechites), the
Czechs, and the
Rus' people (the modern
Russians,
Ukrainians, and
Belarusians). The three legendary brothers appear together in the
Wielkopolska Chronicle, compiled in the early 14th century. The legend states that the brothers, on a hunting trip, followed different prey and thus travelled (and settled) in different directions; Lech in the north, Czech in the west, and Rus in the East. There are multiple versions of the legend, including several regional variants in
Poland and the
Czech Republic that mention only one or two of the brothers.