Oak Island, a privately owned island off the south shore of Nova Scotia, Canada, has been a mysterious place of intrigue and speculation for many years. Countless theories about alleged buried treasure or other historical artifacts concealed on the island have tied to this 57-hectare island which sits just 200 meters from the mainland.
As far back as the 18th century – and perhaps even earlier – numerous attempts have made to find the suppose treasures that the island is said hiding. Rumored items that are thought present on the island range from Shakespearean manuscripts to pirate booty to even religious relics such as the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail, of all things. The latter two items even have some lore attached to them. With many believing that they buried there by the Knights Templar.
While a handful of items have actually uncover on the island throughout the years. With some of them being carbon-dated at hundreds of years old. None of these finds can rightfully called treasure – and no significant treasure troves have ever found on the site.
Even more intriguing, however, is the fact that there is an old omen that states that seven men will perish in the search for the island’s treasure before it is found. As of today, six men died in pursuit of the ever-so-elusive prize that tempted countless adventures and treasure hunters over the years.
The mystery of Oak Island and it’s suppose riches receive increase notoriety when the History Channel put out their popular. Albeit highly dramatize, reality series The Curse of Oak Island back in 2014 as one of the mystery. The show is now on it’s ninth season which premiered on November 2, 2021.
Join Facts Verse as we tackle several theories that attempt to shed light on the mystery that has enshrouded the island. And it’s suppose cache of wealth for centuries at this point. And make sure you stick around for the whole video to learn about a recently reevaluated theory involving a 17-century plot to overthrow the King of England that just might solve this fascinating yet perplexing puzzle.
The Captain Kidd Theory: Shiver Me Timbers
This plausible theory which featured in the very first episode of History’s The Curse of Oak Island television series as one of the mystery. Maintains that the legendary Captain Kidd buried his stash of treasure on the island and then cursed it before setting up booby traps to ensnare future seekers of the hoarded wealth. The theory further explored in the season 4 episode ‘All That Glitters’.
The Shakespeare Theory: Will’s Lost Works
A man named Petter Amundsen, who is a Freemason, claims that William Shakespeare wrote a cryptic map that points towards Nova Scotia; which happens to be where Oak Island mystery is in case you weren’t paying attention. The Cure of Oak Island’s Lagina brothers spoke with Amundsen in the season 1 episode “The Secret of Solomon’s Temple’. According to him, Shakespeare included seemingly random clues throughout his many works by capitalizing letters. Intentionally misspelling words, and using out-of-order page numbers as a way of giving would-be treasure hunters. A trail of bread crumbs that would lead them to the treasure. Amundsen further claims that the trove contains not only precious metals such as gold and silver as well as priceless gemstones but also some lost Shakespearean manuscripts.
The Sir Francis Drake Theory: Wealth Beyond Measure
Historian Paul Speed speculated in the season 5 episode ‘The Lot Thickens’; An otherwise-mundane piece of leather that he insisted used for bookbinding somehow connected to the 16th-century privateer; Sir Francis Drake that infamous for plundering hundreds of millions of dollars worth of riches from a Spanish galleon. Speed further suggested that Drake himself actually buried somewhere on the island. Stating that whenever the crew of treasure hunters hits metal, that they just might have found his casket.
The Marie Antoinette-FDR Theory: Off With Her Head!
Just to brush you up on history real quick, Queen of France is Marie Antoinette that famous to decapitated the French Revolution. Then we have Franklin Delano Roosevelt; who was the 32nd President of the United States from 1933 to his death in 1945. So, what on earth is the connection between these two historic individuals? And what ties could they possibly have to Oak Island?
In the season 4 episode of The Curse of Oak Island entitled ‘Presidential Secrets’. The team of treasure hunters met with a historian who discussed FDR’s belief that the infamously lost crown jewels of France somehow ended up buried on Oak Island as one of the mystery. The theory further postulates that Marie Antoinette’s jewels given to a servant who ran off with them and potentially took the precious gems all the way to Oak Island.
Enjoying this video so far? Show your support by giving this video a like and by subscribing to Facts Verse if you haven’t already. And make sure you stick around to learn all about the theory that might prove to be the final piece to the puzzle that puts the mystery of Oak Island to rest once and for all.
The Dual Cipher Theory: Things Are Getting Cryptic
In the season 2 episode ‘The 90 Foot Stone’, a cryptographer named Daniel Roonstam met up with Rick and Marty. Roonstam is convince that a slab of rock found at a depth of 90-feet below the surface of the earth holds a few clues pertaining to the treasure that conflicts with previously held beliefs about where it might be hidden.
In 1949, a man named Reverend A.T. Kempton supposedly translated the stone by using a simple substitution cipher. According to Roonstam, the stone reads ‘Forty feet below two million pounds buried’. But he also believes that the cipher actually contains two messages which include the English reading and a Spanish one as well. The second code, according to Roonstam, reads ‘At 80 feet guide corn long narrow sea inlet drain’. Which he claims are cryptic instructions on how to thwart the booby traps that flood the money pit.
The South Shore Theory: Six Degrees Of Francis Bacon
This theory holds that the 16th-century philosopher Sir Francis Bacon hid his wealth on the island and set booby traps above it to ward off future treasure hunters. The Curse of Oak Island season 6 episode ‘The Paper Chase’, saw the Lagina Brothers meeting up with an author named Randall Sullivan who believes that one of Bacon’s books which published posthumously, makes reference to seas, water, shafts, and pits – all of which bear striking similarities to the booby traps in the so-called Money Pit.
The Money Pit ‘False Lead’ Theory: It’s All A Distraction
In the season 3 episode ‘Sword Play’, the brothers met with Mike and Sean Herold. Two engineers who basing their theory on research of one of their distant relatives who supposedly explore the island ages ago. Believe that the Money Pit was a red herring. A false lead to deter treasure-seekers from finding the true site of the buried treasure. The brothers further believe the actual site of the trove is very close to the Money Pit. They say that placement stones used to mark the spot, but those stones have since destroyed by earlier excavations.
The Star Map Theory: Signs And Symbols
Aerospace engineer Dr. Travis Taylor, the show-runner for the National Geographic Channel program Rocket City Rednecks; met up with the Curse of Oak Island team and explained his theory that by overlaying symbols tied to Freemasonry as well as a map of the constellation Taurus onto a map of Oak Island. It’s revealed that the treasure is actually hidden on the west side of the island. Despite his claim, expeditions to some of the locations suggested by Dr. Taylor yielded no results.
The William Phips Theory: The 17th Century Theory That Just Might Solve The Mystery
According to this theory – which is unique in the way that it is actually backed by hard evidence – the treasure is tied to King James II, who came into power in 1685. This Catholic King despised by the English protestant majority, including political leaders and members of the upper echelons of society. Since he’s so unliked, a plot arose to overthrow him.
One of the hated king’s enemies made a journey to Holland when King James II came into power. He then convinced the protestant King William III of the Netherlands to unite with the English to overthrow King James II. The only thing that King William III needed to help make this happen was to provide money to fund the coup.
Successful 17th-century explorer William Phips; who funded by the English aristocrats, had at one point found a Spanish shipwreck full of treasure. He and his mates recovered about $4 million worth of loot in that wreck. Once they had made their way back to England; the protestants who were plotting their deposal of the King; managed to convince Phips to return to the site of the wreckage with a crew from Holland to bring back more treasure to help fund the war against the loathed monarch.
Phips had his own qualms with the king. Who refused to let the colony of Massachusetts self-govern even though he had showered James II with vast stockpiles of treasure and gifts. So, Phips agreed to go back and loot the ship for a second time. After they had fetched the treasure; they returned back to the Netherlands with enough silver to successfully fund the toppling of King James in 1688.
That’s when Phips and his crew went to hide the remainder of the treasure on Oak Island. Once there, they dug the notorious Money Pit. According to legend, an underground cave gave way while they were digging. Thus filling the pit with water and making the treasure irretrievable.
Phips and his crew then sealed up the Money Pit. And went to England to inform the British Crown of their serious problem. Clandestine operations subsequently carried out in order to attempt to retrieve the treasure, but none were successful.
By the 1750s, The Brits decided that if they couldn’t have the treasure. Then no one should, so they booby-trapped the island. Constructing a series of shafts and flood tunnels that explorers today have since found. But no one to date has discovered the whereabouts of the hidden treasure – if it ever really existed.
Other modern-day discoveries appear to back up this theory further, however. For one, a 17th-century pickax, which confirmed to be from England, found. And then there was the finding of several pieces of wood discovered on the island. Which all date back to the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
In season 5 of The Curse of Oak Island, two human bones also discovered on the island. Both of which date back to the late 1600s to the mid-1700s. Furthermore, core samples taken from the island’s swamp indicate that human activity must have taken place on the island somewhere between 1674 and 1700.
Which Oak Island Theory do you subscribe to? And do you believe the alleged treasure hidden on the island actually is cursed, as some people say? Let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.
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