The Curse of Oak Island: The team tracks how Templar Knights traveled to Viking territory and across the Atlantic

Rick Lagina learned a lot about the Oak Island mystery from his European adventure. Pic credit: History

The Curse of Oak Island guys discovered symbols in Europe that connected the medieval Templar Knights to the Vikings. They also found ancient runestones, which appear to be linked to the Oak Island Money Pit.

Last night’s episode saw Rick Lagina, Alex Lagina, Peter Fornetti, and Doug Crowell continuing their European adventure.

They left Italy and the Netherlands behind to travel to the “land of the Norse,” otherwise known as Denmark, one of the Scandinavian countries where Vikings were prevalent.

The guys and historical investigators believed they were following in the footsteps of the Templar Knights, who may have traveled in the 13th century from Jerusalem up through Europe and rendezvoused with the Vikings who helped take them to North America.

The Knights were likely lugging ancient treasures taken from Solomon’s Temple, including the Ark of the Covenant and the Golden Menorah.

Rick and the guys have visited multiple castles, dungeons, abbeys, and caverns along the way, and they’ve been spotting the same old Templar symbols that have also been seen in Nova Scotia.

The Oak Island team finds an ancient carving that links Templar Knights and Vikings

In last night’s episode, before leaving the Netherlands, the team visited Valkenburg Castle, where the Templars were imprisoned and persecuted. In the dungeon, the guys found symbols associated with the Templars, including the goose paw symbol.

But they also spotted a Viking symbol, a carving that signifies the famous sails on a Viking ship. This was another clue that the two groups were linked.

In Denmark, the guys visited a 12th-century church where they found a collection of runestones featuring multiple symbols. Amazingly, Rick and the others soon recognized some symbols as similar to those found on the HO stone.

Oak Island HO stone is similar to ancient Danish runestones

The HO stone was found in the Money Pit in 1894 at a depth of 90 feet, and its removal triggered a flood tunnel. The stone was subsequently lost in the early 20th century, but the guys still have photographs.

The olive-colored stone appeared very similar to these Danish runestones in height, width, color, texture, and symbols. Could this be evidence that Vikings took one of their runestones to Oak Island? These stones were usually created for commemorative purposes but could also be used to mark territory.

The guys also visited a rock formation in Denmark that featured carvings dating back an incredible 3000 years to the Bronze Age. Local expert Jeanne Cordua explained that the carvings were created in alignment with the stars and the sun. She suggested the rock formation was an ancient compass used for navigation.

Did Templar Knights use Bronze Age technology to help reach Oak Island?

On the stone formation, the guys spotted a symbol featuring a cross with four dots, a symbol they have seen in every location they visited and also found in Nova Scotia.

The team had associated this symbol with the Templars, but here it was, in a 3000-year-old carving long before Christianity existed. Expert Corjan Mol suggested this was likely the result of a “cross-fertilization of cultures” where the Templars embraced an old technology used by the Vikings’ ancestors.

Meanwhile, Danish historian Ane Jepsennyborg examined an old arrowhead found on Oak Island in the 1960s, and she confidently claimed it came from Denmark. She said the Vikings used the arrowhead from about 800 AD until the 13th century. This could be more evidence that something happened on Oak Island in the 1200s.

The Oak Island guys often find more questions than answers, and this European trip sometimes felt like that. However, they certainly uncovered plenty of clues to suggest that the Templar Knights did team up with the Vikings, and maybe they transported a treasure to Oak Island.

The Curse of Oak Island airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on History.