Long before Ohio was a state, before the United States was a country, and before anyone thought to give her the friendly name Bessie, something strange was supposedly stirring beneath the waters of Lake Erie.

For generations, tales of enormous serpents, mysterious shapes, and unexplained creatures have followed the Great Lake that forms Ohio's northern border. But, perhaps the most curious part of the legend isn't Bessie herself. Maybe, it's the name Erie.

Could one of Ohio's oldest monster legends have roots that stretch much farther into the past than the familiar stories of sailors spotting enormous serpents? There is one thing that points toward that connection. If you follow the names inside of the languages and indigenous traditions that originate from the Great Lakes areas, an intriguing coincidence begins to emerge….READ MORE…