Folklore being
Amazake-Babaa
An old-woman yokai of Aomori and Miyagi Prefectures said to knock on doors at night asking for amazake.
Overview
Amazake-Baba is a yokai recorded in folkloric collections of Aomori and Miyagi Prefectures, taking the form of an old woman. She is said to come at night asking for amazake (sweet sake).
Context of Appearance
The tradition holds that she appears on cold winter nights, knocking on doors house by house and asking, "Is there any amazake?" Replying to her is said to cause illness, and hanging cedar branches at the entrance was held to ward her off.
Referenced Traditions
The Nichibun Yokai Tradition Database card C0411073-000 cites Miyagi Kenshi Minzoku 3 (Volume 21, 1956, Miyagi Kenshi Kankokai, p. 452) as the source for a recorded case in Aomori Prefecture. Nakaichi Kenzo's "Noto kara" in Tabi to Densetsu (1940) is also cited in scholarly treatments.
Sources
怪異・妖怪伝承データベース — 甘酒婆（アマサケババ）C0411073-000
Institutional source国際日本文化研究センター
冬の夜中などに、甘酒は無いか、といって軒ごとに戸を叩く妖怪が信じられた。返事をすると病気になる。戸口に杉の葉を吊るすと防げる
https://www.nichibun.ac.jp/YoukaiCard/C0411073-000.htmlWikipedia 日本語版 — 甘酒婆
Secondary sourceWikipedia contributors
青森県や宮城県などに伝わる老婆の姿をした妖怪。冬の夜中に各家の戸を叩いて甘酒を所望し、返答すると病気になる
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%94%98%E9%85%92%E5%A9%86
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