Edred Thorsson is the founder of the Rune Gild and one of the top experts on runes alive today. He received his doctorate in Germanic languages and medieval studies from the University of Texas at Austin and studied the history of occultism at the University of Göttingen, Germany. He is the author of other well-known books on runes, including Futhark: A Handbook of Rune Magic and The Nine Doors of Midgard.