Mieszko I of Poland mentions a gift or dedication of Mieszko's land to the Pope (the act took place almost a hundred years earlier). It is roughly his borders that Poland was returned to in 1945. There is no certain information on Mieszko I's life before he took control over his lands. Only the "Lesser Poland Chronicle" gives the date of his birth as somewhere between the years 920–931 (depending on the version of the manuscript), however, modern researchers don't recognize the Chronicle as a reliable source. Several historians on the basis of their investigations postulated the date of Mieszko I's birth to have
Mieszko I of Poland from the second part of the name *Dago-mierz, since the merger in pronunciation of "sz" with the devoiced "rz" which would appear in this position is quite recent. However, some historians believe that the word "Dagome" is a melding of two names: the Roman Catholic "Dago," for "Dagobert" (Mieszko's hypothetical baptismal name), and the Slavic "Me," for "Mieszko." The Latin word "iudex" ("judge") would be used in the meaning of "prince." Another interpretation is that "Dagome iudex" is a corruption of "Ego Mesco dux" ("I, Prince Mieszko"). Mieszko I took over the tribal rule after his father's death ca. 950–960,