Effigy Mounds National Monument, Harpers Ferry, IA
Jeremiah 29:13 NIV
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
For over 1000 years, people have been searching for the lost silver of Egil Skallagrímsson. A Viking, born in Iceland, Egil was a warrior, farmer, poet, and berserker. According to Histories Mysteries, “Berserkers were individuals who would fall into a trance-like state of rage when engaging in battle.” Apparently, this was a handy attribute for a Viking. This led to an unlikely alliance with Æthelstan, King of England, during the 937 Battle of Bruanburh. Egil, and his brother Thorolf, among other Norse mercenaries helped to secure Æthelstan’s victory over places we know today as Ireland and Scotland. Sadly, among the battle dead was Thorolf. King Æthelstan paid Egil for his service as well as the loss of his brother with two large chests of silver coins. Prior to Egil’s death, he allegedly buried or dumped the silver in a ravine near Mosfell, a town about 12 miles away from Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik. Fueling the fire to this legend, ancient English coins have turned up along the Mosfell countryside, but no one has ever reported finding Egil’s silver.
Egil’s silver is one of the oldest tales of lost treasure, but there have been treasure hunters for just as long as missing treasures. In the United States alone, over 350,000 people were reportedly looking for Forest Fenn’s 2010 Million Dollar Treasure. One searcher reported having spent over $75,000 searching for the hidden million. Tragically, five people lost their lives before the treasure was found in June 2020. Riches untold, the thrill, the adventure all seem appealing, but the irony is that the greatest treasure of all – isn’t even hidden. God says through the prophet Jeremiah, “If you seek me, you will find Me.” I guess maybe we think that’s too easy? No travel expenses? No deciphering codes? No X on the map? Nope. Just one Heavenly Father eagerly waiting for you with outstretched arms.
