Sunakake-babaa is one of specters described in "Yokai Dangi" (Lecture about Specters) written by folklorist Kunio YANAGIDA and the story in the book is extracted from "Yamato Sekitan" (Old Stories of Japan) written by his friend, Shiro SAWADA, M.D.
民俗学者・柳田國男の著書『妖怪談義』に記述がある妖怪のひとつで、その話の出所は柳田の友人、沢田四郎作（さわたしろうさく）医学博士の『大和昔譚』である。