Rick Lagina, Alex Lagina, Doug Crowell, and Corjan Mol Explore Viking–Templar Symbols Across Europe in “Cone E Island”

In Episode 23 of The Curse of Oak Island, titled “Cone E Island”, (aired April 16, 2024), Rick Lagina and his team embark on a remarkable European journey to trace mysterious carvings, archaeological relics, and symbolic connections that may link Viking explorers with the Knights Templar—and ultimately, to the elusive Oak Island treasure. With guidance from historian Jacquo Silvertant, author Corjan Mol, and Danish curator Ane Jepsen Nyborg, this episode deepens one of the most compelling historical theories in the show’s modern exploration: Did Norse seafarers help the Templars reach the New World?

A European Trail from Valkenburg Castle to Viking Crossings

The episode opens in the Netherlands, where Rick Lagina, Alex Lagina, Peter Fornetti, and Doug Crowell meet with Jacquo Silvertant and Corjan Mol at the formidable 12th-century Valkenburg Castle. As they descend into the dungeons, they discover carved symbols—including the four-dot cross and a distinct “goose paw” mark—previously found on Oak Island and linked to Freemasonry and the Templar order.

Alex Lagina: “We seem to see these four-dot crosses in a lot of places. We’ve seen it on the H+O Stone, uh, on Oak Island. And we’ve seen it, actually, throughout Europe.”

This symbolic consistency reaffirms the team’s theory that the Templars fled persecution in the 14th century, possibly transporting sacred relics—including the Ark of the Covenant and the menorah of Solomon’s Temple—to a distant sanctuary. The Valkenburg dungeon becomes a symbolic waypoint, bridging Europe and Nova Scotia through iconography.

A Viking–Templar Alliance? A Theory Gains Strength

The theory gains momentum when Dr. Doug Symons’ research is highlighted, suggesting that Templars may have used Viking navigators—renowned for their command of the Atlantic—to flee to the New World.

Dr. Doug Symons: “Templars used Vikings for transportation to come to a promised land—North America.”

This idea aligns with the 1200s dating of many Oak Island artifacts, and with Freemasonry expert Dr. Doug Symons’ research on the intermingling of Norse culture with Templar movements during the Crusades. A carved Viking sail symbol seen in the dungeon reinforces speculation of shared or overlapping seafaring knowledge.

A Crossbow Clue in Denmark

The following day, the team travels to Kerteminde, Denmark, where they consult Ane Jepsen Nyborg, curator at the Ladby Viking Museum. Rick and Doug present her with a photograph of a medieval crossbow bolt discovered on Oak Island in the 1960s.

To their astonishment, Nyborg immediately recognizes it:

Ane Jepsen Nyborg: “This is very quintessentially the way that they made these artifacts in the Viking age.”

She dates the object from circa 800 AD to pre-1300, strengthening the argument that Viking navigators or settlers may have reached Oak Island—perhaps in alliance with the Templars or as earlier explorers.

Doug Crowell: “So, this could have been used through the 1200s?”
Ane: “It could, yes.”

The Bigger Picture: Crossings, Refuge, and Sacred Cargo

The discovery of Viking weaponry, alongside Templar carvings and symbols across Europe and Nova Scotia, paints a powerful picture: that Oak Island may have served as a sanctuary for sacred treasures smuggled across the ocean during medieval turmoil.

Rick Lagina: “There was a need for refuge… So, where are you going to go? You’re going to go to the New World.”

The team’s east-to-west investigative path—from Valkenburg to Denmark to Nova Scotia—now mirrors the hypothesized voyage of both Templars and Vikings seeking sanctuary.