Rudolf John Gorsleben, 1883-1930 was an Ariosophist and Armanist, or practitioner of the Armanen runes, and one of the occult precursors to Nazism. He formed the Edda Society (Edda-Gesellschaft) and wrote the book Hoch-Zeit der Menschheit (The Zenith of Humanity), first published in 1930 - the classic of Rune Magic and folk related ideas. Many called it "The Bible of Armanism" It has recently been translated into English by Karl Hans Welz.

On November 29 1925 Gorsleben founds the Edda Society, a mystic study group, at Dinkelsbühl, in Franconia. Grand Master of the group is Werner von Bülow. Treasurer is Friedrich Schaefer from Mühlhausen, whose wife, Käthe, keeps open house for other occult-völkisch groups which gather around Karl Maria Wiligut (Weisthor) in the early 1930s. Gorsleben was Chancellor of the Edda Society and published its periodical German Freedom, later Aryan Freedom. (Roots) He died from heart disease in August 1930.

"On the basis of the runes, occultism and the Edda, Gorsleben created an original racist mystery-religion which illuminated the priceless magical heritage of the Aryans and justified their spiritual and political world supremacy."