Gniezno
- Location: Poland
- Variant names:
Gnesen
According to legend, Lech, a chief of the Polanie tribe, discovered the nest (in Polish,
gniazdo) of a white eagle while out hunting. This was taken to be a good omen. The place was given the name 'nest', although this could refer to the fact that the area was naturally defendable (as in modern parlance, a 'machine-gun nest'). Gniezno was the first capital of Poland between 966 and 1038; the eagle became the emblem of the Polish nation.
Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. Copyright © John Everett-Heath 2005. All rights reserved.
