The Old Woman as Seeker-Hero: An Intertextual Reading of a Pontic Greek Variant of ATU 460B

Abstract This study explores the Pontic Greek folktale Ήλεν Μαρáντον ( The Undying Sun ), a variant of ATU 460B, within the cultural and historical context of the Pontic Greek diaspora following their exile from Asia Minor in 1923. The analysis examines how the narrator created a richly traditional yet subtly subversive tale, particularly through the rare use of an elderly woman as the seeker-hero. By comparing The Undying Sun with regional and international variants, the study identifies four key narrative motifs and takes into account how successive generations of migrants preserve and adapt their storytelling traditions. Additionally, it considers the stylistic distinctions between female and male narrators and situates the tale within its historical milieu to propose insights into the anonymous narrator, the original audience, and the social fabric of the community.