Rick Lagina, Emiliano Sacchetti, and Adriano Gaspani Explore Astronomical Clues in “Hairy Situation”

In Episode 24 of The Curse of Oak Island, titled “Hairy Situation”, which aired on April 23, 2024, Rick Lagina and his team travel to Iceland to explore compelling connections between medieval manuscripts, Viking trade routes, and the celestial geometry that may have guided ancient builders of structures like Nolan’s Cross. , Rick Lagina and his team travel to Iceland to explore compelling connections between medieval manuscripts, Viking trade routes, and the celestial geometry that may have guided ancient builders of structures like Nolan’s Cross. With insights from Professor Adriano Gaspani, Emiliano Sacchetti, and curator Ármann Gudmundsson, this episode draws tantalizing parallels between Norse artifacts, Roman coins, and Oak Island’s mysterious megalithic alignments.

Astronomy, Arcturus, and Nolan’s Cross

The episode continues a trail that began in Italy, where Gaspani explained how Cistercian monks encoded astronomical knowledge into monastic architecture. That trail now leads to Iceland, where Emiliano and the team examine a 12th-century manuscript. The document contains Latin and Norse text referencing the star Arcturus, a key alignment target for Nolan’s Cross.

Emiliano Sacchetti: “It says that it was important to know the stars… probably Arcturus, which was called the day star for its brightness.”

Alex Lagina: “That says that’s useful for sailing at far north latitudes.”

The team is struck by the manuscript’s discussion of celestial navigation, which appears to validate theories about astronomical alignments on Oak Island.

A Copper Artifact and a Book of Symbols

Doug Crowell discovers an intriguing match between a symbol found in the manuscript and one engraved on a copper artifact recovered near Nolan’s Cross.

Doug Crowell: “This is the ribbon-like symbol on our copper piece… next to a representation of a cross.”

This correlation builds the case for “connective tissue” between ancient European knowledge and the mysterious artifacts uncovered on Oak Island. The symbol’s recurrence throughout the manuscript lends weight to the possibility of Viking or Templar origin.

Rick Lagina: “That symbol we see in the book is the same symbol that we see on the copper artifact. You cannot ignore that.”

Roman Coins and Norse Networks

The team visits Iceland’s National Museum to examine Roman coins dated to the 4th century AD—the same era as coins found on Lot 5 of Oak Island. Curator Ármann Gudmundsson explains that the coins were likely brought by Norse settlers, suggesting a trade network spanning the British Isles, Scandinavia, and North America.

Doug Crowell: “On Oak Island, we find coins from the same basic era… the only known European activity in our region before the 15th century is the Norse.”

Alex Lagina: “It’s just evidence of an interconnected nature of everything much earlier than we had thought.”

This revelation raises a powerful question: Did Norse explorers—or their Templar allies—transport sacred or valuable objects to Oak Island centuries before Columbus?

Final Reflections: A Shared Celestial Language?

Rick and the team reflect on the convergence of evidence—from astronomical manuscripts to Norse coins to symbology embedded in Oak Island relics.

Rick Lagina: “We know that the Norse traveled the Atlantic. It’s a possible explanation why Roman coins were on Oak Island. It is explainable on some level.”