Tracing the Sacred Legacy: Queen Heo Hwang-ok’s Pagoda Stones and Their Cultural Relevance in Ancient Tamil Nadu

Abstract

The Samguk Yusa records the arrival, circa 48 CE, of an Indian queen named Heo, who traveled by sea to the Korean peninsula and married King Kim Suro of the Gaya kingdom. According to the chronicle, Queen Heo originated from a place called “Ayuta,” the precise location of which remains the subject of scholarly debate. Linguistic, archaeological, and cultural analyses have variously identified Ayuta as Ay, an ancient kingdom situated in present-day Tamil Nadu, India. A significant material clue supporting the Indian origin hypothesis is the reported introduction of “pagoda stones” by the Queen upon her arrival in Korea. These sacred stones, traditionally believed to possess the power to calm turbulent seas, have elicited multiple interpretations regarding their cultural and religious significance. This study examines the etymology of the term pagoda and investigates contemporaneous religious practices in Tamil Nadu, around 48 CE. It further explores the cultural shift from non-institutionalized stone veneration to more organized religious systems in the region. Drawing on a multidisciplinary analysis of the pagoda stones, we propose informed hypotheses concerning Queen Heo’s possible religious affiliation and geographic origins. The findings aim to provide an additional evidentiary layer to the historical and cultural reconstruction of Queen Heo’s identity and her place of origin.