Travis Simpkins: "The Hooked X" by Scott Wolter

The Hooked X

Key to the Secret History of North America

by Scott F. Wolter

North Star Press, 2009

Notes by Travis Simpkins

Initially discovered within the carved runic inscription text of the controversial Kensington Rune Stone, dug up on a Minnesota farm in 1898, the "Hooked X" is both a powerful symbol and a defining element in the career of forensic geologist Scott Wolter. When Wolter was hired to conduct research to determine the authenticity of the Kensington Rune Stone, his findings seemed to prove that the stone is indeed a genuine medieval artifact dating to 1362… over a century before Christopher Columbus was supposed to have first "discovered" America. Many outspoken critics in the academic community, however, were not swayed and Wolter was subjected to a vitriolic backlash that triggered in him a desire to seek out the whole story and definitive, conclusive evidence. The Hooked X: Key to the Secret History of North America is a 266-page summary of Scott Wolter's extensive research, which brought him from Minnesota to Northern Europe and back again.

The arguments presented in The Hooked X are most convincing when Wolter sticks to what he knows best: scientific facts, analysis and forensic research. However, the basic premise and theories regarding duality within the Hooked X (which combines the ^ and the v) are fascinating and offer serious pause for thought. Connections with Jesus, Mary Magdalene, the Cistercians and the Knights Templar are naturally attention-grabbing topics and make for interesting reading as well.

It would be a disservice to the text as a whole to just offer a brief précis here, so I would suggest picking up a copy (it is reasonably priced at around $15) and reading it with an open mind. It offers a unique, entertaining and fresh look at a too-often dismissed chapter in North American history.