Łódź, like other major cities, has its own legend concerning the origins of its name. According to local tradition, the name was created by a peasant named Janusz, who later became the first village headman (sołtys) of Łódź. The story, seemingly simple on the surface, conceals within it notes of romanticism, mystery, and longing for the unknown.

Janusz from near Łęczyca

To reach the very beginnings of history, one must venture to the forests near Łęczyca. There, according to legend, lived a beekeeper named Bartłomiej with four sons. They lived off bee honey, forest goods, fish they caught, and meat from hunted animals. What they could not use themselves, they sold to merchants who occasionally passed through the area. It soon became apparent that the youngest son – Janusz – showed talent in carpentry as well, which allowed the family to grow prosperous in a relatively short time. This was noticed by the Łęczyca nobility, who looked with envy upon the growing wealth of the beekeeper's family. A plot was quickly hatched; a messenger was sent to Bartłomiej's cottage with a letter. According to the document, Janusz was called up for military service. The young man knew nothing good awaited him, and the whole affair was likely revenge on the part of the Łęczyca lords; for this reason, he decided to flee as far as possible from his childhood home.

Sara and the legendary boat

Before saying goodbye to the region where he had grown up, Janusz decided to go on one last hunt in his native lands. But something completely unexpected happened there – the young man met a girl named Sara in the forest, and he fell in love with her at first sight, and the feelings were mutual. Sara decided to accompany her beloved on a journey into the unknown; the lovers sailed in a boat (łódka), traversing the wetlands of the Łódź wilderness. The journey seemed to stretch on, and the further they went, the harder it became to maneuver the boat. Finally, it became so difficult that they decided to pull it ashore.

However, night was already approaching, and as if their troubles were not enough – a torrential rain began to fall. Janusz and Sara had no choice; they turned the boat upside down and sheltered beneath it. They managed to survive the night peacefully, and the morning view seemed to reward them for everything they had endured. The lovers beheld a beautiful area, complete with a wilderness teeming with life and echoing with birdsong. It is no wonder that they quickly decided to build a cottage and settle there. Shortly after, instead of one cottage, several similar ones stood in the area, until finally a settlement was established, which was named Łódka – after the boat that had protected the first inhabitants. Janusz, of course, became the first village headman. Less than a century later, King Władysław Jagiełło granted the settlement city rights and a name alluding to the historical one – Łódź.