| Lestek | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Duke of the Polans | |
| Reign | c. 900 – 950 |
| Predecessor | Siemowit |
| Successor | Siemomysł |
| Born | c. 880 |
| Died | 950 |
| Issue | Siemomysł |
| House | House of Piast |
| Father | Siemowit |
| Religion | Slavic paganism |
Lestek (alsoLeszek,Lestko) was the second duke ofPolans, and son ofSiemowit, born c. 870–880, mentioned in the oldest Polish chronicle,Gesta principum Polonorum byGallus Anonymus. The dukes of Polans were the foundation of thePiast dynasty, the first historical rulingdynasty ofPoland.
Initially, no-one doubted the historicity of Lestek. In the second half of the nineteenth century, however, his existence began to be questioned. The issue was basically settled thanks to an article written byHenryk Łowmiański,[1] in which he came out in favor of the credibility of Gallus Anonymus's account, and thus in favor of the historicity of the three direct predecessors toMieszko I. This view is dominant in the Polish historiography.
The origin of his name is not known, but it can be derived from the old Polish wordlście which means "crafty". It is believed this is a diminutive of theSlavic nameLścimir orLścisław. The number and existence of Lestek's wives or consorts are unknown. A theory byStanisław Zakrzewski claims Lestek (or Lestko) could have been married to aMoravian princess. Another theory (inferred from the descriptions of a Belgian chronicler from the 14th century) is that a Saxon princess could have been Lestek's wife and that they had a son,Ewraker, later thebishop of Liège. Lestko's son,Siemomysł, was the next ruler of thePolish state.[citation needed]
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