Before the Czechs were Czech, they were Bohemian, beginning with Roman-named Celtic 鈥淏oii鈥 people. The Germans called the land 鈥湹冻蟪颈鸩遭 while the Romans called it 鈥淏oiohaemum,鈥 meaning the history of the Boii continued to influence the land long past their existence there, even by the time the Czechs began living there. Translated to English, these names became 鈥淏ohemia,鈥 where 鈥淏ohemians鈥 lived, before they were finally known as Czechoslovakians, then as Czechs and Slovakians in their respective nations.
The Legend of Lech, Cech, and Rus
The legend of the three brothers Lech, Cech, and Rus, who became the ancestors of the Polish, Czech, and Rus, explains how these cultures were created. The legend involves the brothers being the son of prince Pan and leaving the Pannonia empire. Some accounts don鈥檛 involve Rus, rather just Lech and Cech, who are the sons of Jan and not Pan.