According to "Hannyashin-gyo no Nazo," written by Meiji MOMOSE, this was created by Genemon YAWATA in Ninohe-gun, Iwate Prefecture from 1688 to 1703 for the sake of illiterates and became popular in various provinces through essays, and even literate people enjoyed it as a kind of rebus.
百瀬明治『般若心経の謎』によれば、これは元禄年間に現在の岩手県二戸郡の八幡源右衛門という人が文字の読めない人向けに創作した後、随筆によって諸国に伝播されブームとなったものであり、文字か読める人たちの間でも判じ物的に楽しまれたという。