Facts and Fiction: The Myth of Suvaṇṇabhūmi Through the Thai and Burmese Looking Glass

Suvarnabhumi (Sanskrit) or Suvaṇṇabhūmi (Pali) may be rendered in English as ​‘Golden Earth’, ​‘Golden Land’, or ​‘Land of Gold’. This fabled Indian name partially corresponds to the western myth of ​‘El Dorado’ in European traditions: a far off, mysterious place associated with great wealth and prosperity, that does not necessarily consist of gold.

The author explores many Siamese and Burmese traditions related to the myth, often stressing the way the Khmer Empire spread and modified them. He adds: ​“Since I completed this manuscript, an important and unique epigraphic discovery was made in Cambodia that somemay perceive as pertinent to the issues raised in the article. In December 2017, Dr Vong Sotheara (Royal University of Phnom Penh) discovered a Pre-Angkorian stone inscription in the Province of Kampong Speu, Baset District, which he tentatively dated to 633 AD. According to him, the inscription would shed light on the location of the fabled realm and ​“prove that Suvarṇabhūmi was the Khmer Empire”. To my knowledge, this would be the earliest occurrence of ​‘Suvarṇabhūmi’ in South and Southeast Asian epigraphy known to date, since no other inscriptions mentioning this name have yet been found in Southeast Asia before the second millennium AD.”