sūsl-hof

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sūsl-hof, n.n: place of torment, hell. (SOO-zull-HOFF / ˈsuː-zəl-ˌhɔf)

Medieval manuscript image of a giant haloed man reaching down into the gaping mouth of a monster and pulling people out of it; the giant man stands upon a demonic creature, and a two-legged dragon stands in the foreground.
Harrowing of Hell in Tiberius Psalter; England (Winchester), 11th century; British Library, Cotton MS Tiberius C VI, f. 14r. [bl.uk]

2 thoughts on “sūsl-hof”

    • According to the Oxford English Dictionary, that is one conjectured derivation. Others favour a connection to Middle High German hobel ‘cover, covering, lid’. Another conjectured connection is Anglo-Norman huvel, from which Old French huvelet ‘petit toit en saillie’. Short answer: the origin of hovel is uncertain!

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