hof

The term "Hof" can refer to a city in Bavaria, Germany. However, in the context of ancient Germanic and Norse cultures, a hof was a temple, particularly in Iceland during its later pagan period. These temples, often resembling large farmhouses, had distinct compartments and housed images of the gods. While early worship often occurred outdoors in groves, temples like the hof developed with building advancements. The word hof is associated with a later period of worship in Iceland, and archaeological findings in northern Iceland align with descriptions of these temples found in sagas.12