One of Saknussemm's runic markers from the British museum.
Arne Saknussemm was a 16th-century alchemist who claimed to have discovered a passage to the centre of the Earth via Snæfellsjökull in Iceland.
Following his runic marks which often wrote A.S., Professor Lidenbrock made a journey in 1864 and even discovered Lidenbrock Sea.
Because of his significance, some of his markers were carried to the British Museum.[1]
The name itself is a clever secret code giving hidden homage to Raphael Semmes, the captain of the notorious Confederate raider, the CSS Alabama. " SEMMES " is the key to decoding the name ARNE SAKNUSSEMM. Simply place the first ES to the end to make SEMMES. This gives ARNA KNUS SEMMES. As in the book the next step is to read it backwards. This gives SEMMES SUNK ARNA. Arna is Icelandic for " the powerful eagle " . . . Semmes sunk the powerful eagle. Why did Verne pay this hidden homage to Raphael Semmes? The answer is that by 1864 Semmes had become the main inspiration for Verne's most famous character, Captain Nemo.
Source material[]
Arne Saknussemm was a character from Jules Verne's Journey to the Centre of the Earth.
Jules Verne and the heroes of Birkenhead website
References[]
Jules Verne and the heroes of Birkenhead website