Viking Sunstone myth or magic?

[Firebird]

Did the Vikings find the hidden secrets of minerals and crystsls? Did they use them to navigate the waters? It was suspected but never proven until recently.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news ... n-science/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunstone_(medieval)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CXu8hozezOY
Bb, Firebird

[planewalker]

It was also proven by an English academic about 10 yrs back. He was an archeologist and yachtsman. On summer vacation from his teaching position, he sailed across the N. Atlantic using it. Only ended up a couple degrees off the course he wanted when he made land fall. It never made it much out of academic circles. Cool seeing it on video. Thanks Firebird. You always find the greatest vids.

[Firebird]

Thanks Planewalker, I fell asleep 3 times trying to post this and I wanted to include a pic of this beautiful Iceland spar (which is a form of calcite, a relatively soft mineral on the mohs scale, it's a 3)

What a beuatiful piece of rock, looks like ice too.
There is a longer more indepth video on the subject I saw on the National Geographic channel, so I'll keep surfing around for that for anyone who may be interested.

[SpiritTalker]

The stone looks like exceptionally high grade optical calcite. I have a very small piece and it splits light to sort of a Y shape.