The Story of Alexander "Sawney" Bean

Hi ATS,

Here is a story I have been meaning to share with you for a while now but never got round to it...So here it goes.

The story of Sawney and his family is a dark one during the 1500's based in Scotland, Sawney was a bit of a recluse and considering that and the fact he didn't like to earn his way he still managed to find him a woman that suited his needs. Now let me tell you now how and why this couple that shunned a public life became infamous in Scottish folklore.

This couple as I mentioned, shunned public life and decided to shack up in a cave on the Scottish West coast somewhere on the Bennane shore. Now that all in itself isn't all that strange but what was strange was the regular disappearances of people between Ballantrae and Girvan and the surrounding areas.

Local townsfolk slowly started to notice the disappearance of many of their fellow townspeople, now people go missing all the time but this was becoming a common occurrence and it all became a bit too much for the locals when body parts started to show up often on and around the coast. Naturally outraged, the locals started taking things into their own hands. This consisted of organised searches and of course eventually lynch mobs, since the people who went missing tended to do so at night and no night time search parties came up with any bandits, werewolves or pretty much anything to be honest, the focus switched naturally to the last to see the missing. In other words a few Inn keepers ended up being lynched.

Now these searches were not exactly useless, one search did find a cave upon Bennane head but considering nobody thought a human could survive in such a place it was never searched. Maybe they feared the cave or feared finding a smuggling stash, either way that was a bad mistake.

You see, within that cave lived a man... In fact it supported a full family. This was Sawney's cave. What would eventually be found in that cave would shock anybody to the core, this cave housed cannibals. This cave belonged to the Bean family. Now the Bean family itself is a bit weird minus the fact they lived in a cave and ate people, they were also a family of incest. A family that would eventually number just under 50 people.

This family survived in their cave for about 25 years before they were discovered, where they were happy picking off travellers and then eating them. But one night the failed, one night they were found out. One night the Bean family ambushed a couple riding on a horse returning home from a fair. This time they'd bite more than they could chew.

It's said the Bean's were somewhat successful in their ambush in fact they managed to forcefully dismount the couple from the horse but they didn't expect the man to be a skilled hand to hand combatant. The man did his best to fight off the family with a cutlass and a pistol until more fairgoers down the road heard the commotion and came to his rescue... Alas a little late, his lady was fatally wounded. But that being said at least their would be no more victims, now the cat was out of the bag and the Bean family had their days numbered.

It's said that it didn't take long for the story to spread and spread it did, to King James VI of Scotland ( the one Guy Fawkes failed to kill). Disgusted he organised a hunt that assembled somewhere near 400 men plus hounds. Now with such a dedicated search team and an idea of what to look for it didn't take long for them to find the cave that would later become famous.

Upon entering that cave it became pretty clear something sick and evil had been happening and probably for a while because bones were every where and they appeared to be human. In fact it was probably all human. This family was cornered, outnumbered and probably unaware they were being hunted. In the cave it was said many remains were found, including pickled human parts. By the dating of items found in the cave it seemed like the family lived here for at least 25 years and successfully too... The total taken in chains to jail numbered 48 with the grandchildren clearly being products of incest.

No trial was given, instead it was ordered that the genitalia, the hands and feet would be cut off the men and they'd be left to bleed to death while the women and children watched. After they too were dispatched by the flame... Such was the punishments of the time.

So that is the story of Alexander "Sawney" Bean and his family, is it true? I don't know but I hope you enjoyed it.


I should have wrote this on Halloween but, better late than never.

a reply to: RAY1990
It is a creepy folktale, and was the inspiration for the movie 'The Hills Have Eyes' apparently.

But, it does seem to be short on hard historical data to back the story up as it is told today... at least that is what I have read about it.

a reply to: butcherguy

Yeah, from what I gathered it was probably a made up story that gathered wind or was blown largely out of proportion.

We can find a similar thing happen these days on stories, a thing or two changed in a story and the media picks it up then runs with it... Next thing you know the actual story is non existent and the yarn becomes a famous lie. I can't think of any examples :/ but I know it happens.

Like going to Iraq for WMD's that were going to be used against us. Then it was all about deposing a ruthless dictator and letting people paint their fingers purple.

But anyways, I just saw this story the other week on True Monsters I think? I had never heard it before and it was pretty gruesome sounding. Checked a few places out online and while the story is insanely detailed, most think it didn't happen. I guess even the people who live in that town don't believe it, but it piques the interest of people and draws them there, so what's the harm.

S&F though, really is a neat story!


a reply to: RAY1990

Cheers for sharing Ray1990

I was reading this story the other day as part of The Newgate Calendar.

For some reason, I'd always thought it was a factual story... I'm kinda relieved to discover it's most probably a creepy folktale, lol.

Here's a link to the Sawney Bean chapter of The Newgate Calendar (read online) and here's a link to read and/or download the entire book for free.

Definitely check it out... I'm on my 3rd re-read, it's that awesome

a reply to: lizziejayne

Thank you for those links lizzie, it's the first time I have heard of the Newgate Calander, it goes to show propaganda has always had it's day.

This story always fascinated me and I also believed it too be true, I only realized it was most likely fake when I was pondering making a thread about it... That was about 2 years ago, I remember I posted a couple of other folklore tales at the time.

Anyways thanks again for those links, I love history whether it be mystical or factual

a reply to: RAY1990

I have never been able to track it down but I heard another version, maybe another cannibal, it was about the 800's and the story was in the highland's, there was a vicious clan whom lived in a cave and preyed on passers by, they also raided other clan's and were too strong for any one clan to fight.

Four clans united and hunted these cannibals down driving the survivors into there cave were they hid and then the vengeful clans whom had put aside all of there other differences to deal with this common foe burned them to death in the cave.

I can not remeber the full story but it was in the highlands and sounded like a wild pictish clan whom had resorted to eating scot's or maybe always had been probably pagans as well.

a reply to: LABTECH767

Never heard of that one, but if you find it I'd be interested.
The Sawney Bean (no relation ) story was created by the English to denigrate the Scots further, at the time of the Jacobite rebellion. He never existed.

There's a good article in The Scotsman about it.

a reply to: beansidhe

It was years ago, I saw something about it late one night on bbc2 were they showed a cave in a glen but I have never been able to find any more about it, all searches on the net for example come back with Sawney bean which I agree is possibly just an urban legand or something made up as you say to denegrate, then again in the world there have been plenty of real horror storys and I suppose for an English Sawney bean look no further than Fred West, he killed far more than he was charged with (possibly hundreds) and was probably silenced as I doubt a man like that whom got his kick's torturing defenceless girl's would have the courage to kill himself.

I also remember how after he was arrested there was a mysterious fire a couple of days later in a back street adult cinema in Soho london, there were just a few men in the building and non got out of there alive - silenced - someone did not want West tracked back to them and had acted to prevent it - remember when they showed his torture chamber there was a large space at the foot of the bed were a camera could have been placed, we have heard about the Tory child abuse party's etc.

It may be fake but given the very real monster's like that West I actually think it is also possible that such a thing could have happened, for how long and how many though are another matter.

At any given time there is a rough estimate (only an estimate of course) that there are probably between two to four active seriel killers on the loose in the UK and of course we have had our fair share of them over the years on this little island of our's, Henry VIII, there was a landlord at preston whom tipped travllers into boiling oil with a bed on over the boiling oil vat back in the 1600's - he would wait for them to go to bed then pull the lever when he was happey they were asleep and rob what they had - no idea if he was sweeny todd type character or not, the acid bath murder's, christie, west and god know's how many others probably even worse than them and of course the so called upper class were above the law for a very long time and got away with unspeakable crimes for century's (they still do today) against the ordinary people just like the Torys are doing today, there method's may be less direct but they are just as lethal in the long run but it is simply that in our social awareness we don't see killing old folk's by taking there penison's away, killing kid's by destroying there futures and making them homeless etc in the same light as we see a less intelligence lunatic with a butchers knife but factually the Tory power mongers are killing far more people even than the most dangerous lunatic's in Ashworth ever did and they are getting away with it, instead of being incarcerated in a lunatic establishment or put on trial they are getting a pat on the back and big money in there bank account's, something is definitely wrong there.

Come back to the Battenbourg's, sorry the Windsors and you have there ancestors and relatives, I quite liked the queen mother but her direct ancestor was non other than the sybling of one Vlad Tepes, better known as vlad the impaler whom is the inpsiration for Dracula, then you have an offshoot - not certain how closeley related but in germany there was a woman by the name of Countess Bathory - she bathed in the blood of young virgins (hundreds apparently) thinking it would keep her young.

So I suppose if we really want to find Seriel killing mass murderer's, cannibal's, violent thug's and theives and sexual deviant's we only have to look at the Westminster crowd whom are ruling this island today, there family history's are repleat with such monster's and I think that if he was around today Sawney bean would fit in well with that bunch and perhaps even be a member of the house of Lord's given that legacy or perhaps a Tory back bencher called Giles.

Actually I knew a guy whom worked at Ashworth and there are thing's the public simply don't get told about those murderer's such as in the case of the Moores murderer's of manchester - both Ian Brady and Myra Hyndley raped the kid's and tortured them and they even skinned the kid's alive for kick's, maybe I should not mention this but it is what I was told was in there file by a guy whom had read it, remember it was an old Lord whom was trying to get Myra hyndley released and seemed to have a crush on her so I really don't think that bunch can denigrate anyone but then again we have a prime minister (Tory boy) whom was a member of the bullingdon club (which was an offshoot of the Hellfire club which was not a Pagan group as they are trying to say today but actually satan worshippers) and in one ceremony put his cock in a dead pig's mouth while in another that has never been confirmed as it was a non hellfire club member whom was a student at Eaton at the time whom claimed that another bullingdom initiation which cameron would most likely have undergone was an initiation ceremony were two of the older boy's beat or scared a tramp into submission then the initiate is supposed to have asked him if he wanted a £50 note before burning it under his nose or in front of his face, sadism and lack of empathy for the poor just what a Tory prime minisiter need's to put poor people out of there home's and sell off yet more national asset's (not to mention his part in selling south african nuclear weapon's to Saudi Arabia, a treasonous act and breach of international non proliferation treaty meaning he is actually an international criminal if proven).

So Scotland has nothing to worry about there, just look at that bunch of louts in Westminster.

Have to add this,
www.dailymail.co.uk...

a reply to: LABTECH767

I never knew about the burnt down cinema in the Fred West case; in fact in most of these cases I'm grateful that I don't know the finer details.
You're spot on about Cameron et al and his Bullingdon mates. It's almost laughable when people complain about the NHS being dismantled or cuts to the public sector, when the Tory lot who revel in gluttony, contempt and greed are at the helm. What else could you expect from these - and I hesitate to use the word in association- men?
Uurgh.

Back to Mr Bean though, and I'm wondering if you're thinking of the 'massacre' cave on Eigg?



www.atlasobscura.com...

The earlier history of Eigg was a deeply troubled and very bloody one. This was the location of the monastery in which St Donnan and 52 of his monks were murdered in 617. In 1577 some 395 MacDonalds, hiding from a MacLeod raid in a cave on the southern side of the island, were suffocated when the MacLeods tried to smoke them out. The cave, since known as Massacre Cave, can still be visited. The following year the MacLeods took their revenge at Trumpan Church on Skye.

www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk...

Thanks for the link about the people-chomping royals. It honestly wouldn't surprise me if they still do....

a reply to: beansidhe

That is quite possibly it but it was so long ago now and very late, it is also possible I got my wires crossed, watched part of a documentary went to make a cup of tea came back and picked up in the middle of another story as this has happened in the past, I was a lot younger and a lot more energetic back then so I used to work all the hourse god sent (Mostly overtime but it was the only way to make any money) like 6am to 10.30pm - pre working time regulation and I am paying for it now with wrecked health.

Having read that the Massacre cave story sound's close enough so maybe I heard two half's of these two story's and somehow got my wires crossed, thank you for clearing that up for me, the covering of the entrance and using fire and smoke is what I remember so that is most likely what has happened I may have heard parts of both story's and mixed them up possibly in the same documentary about the highland's.

a reply to: LABTECH767

Possibly or maybe there's yet another really gruesome ancient story out there! If you ever come across it again, let me know, I'd love to hear it.

a reply to: beansidhe

I will, I seem to remember them talking about a group of highland clan's, the wicked clan lived in a cave and were like some sort of subhuman monsters but fierce and no single clan would tackle them until thing's got so bad these other clans put there own blood feud's aside and united to put an end to the terror, other than that it sounded much like the sawney beane story in that they would attack travellers whom passed through the glen and also raid further afield so it was probably just me getting the story jumbled in my memory.

Still it would put a horrible but grimly funny spin on what might of happened to the missing roman legion from a good while earlier, canned meat? and of course in pre christian celtic culture head hunting and eating an enemy's heart were part of the celtic warrior legend's but Scotland and especially the highlands used to be a much more populated country of course before the clearances at least in terms of populated area's with far less barren and unpolulated highlands and a great many more towns and villages so was there really an area where such a wild and probably ancient and pre-scot's clan could have lingered, I just don't know but maybe, maybe not, then again in the high valley's of Wales which compared to Scotland is tiny there were secluded community's of welsh people whom stubbornly refused to be forced to speak English or adopt English custom's right up to the mid 1800's, sadly the Cornish did not fair so well but I suppose this does illustrate that at least in theory a clan whom stood apart and clung to ancient way's Could have survived, just could have (With Scotland being so much larger but not proof that any did though given the early date I suppose it is more possible than not.

Here is something,
www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com...

The Pict's though as you know were probably the last vestige of the True Britains or Albion's, described as Short and Swarthy they of course were a fierce and independant people but I believe they were far more cultured than history relates since whom but they would have been behind the forgotton and lost civilization whom built the stone castles or high stone walled settlements upon the hill's of Scotland and later burned then using heather piled against the outer wall's probably after a chieftain died of perhaps when a class uprising occured or even a forgotten invasion or famine, the so called vitrified hill fort's of Scotland though are enigmatic but I once saw a documentary in which they argued the forts were probably built properly using masonry and wood and this vitrification was only done at the time of the fort's destruction I also know of no reference to Picts being cannibals anywhere though it is likley later people may have tried to dismiss these once sophisticated ancient people as less than they were, a slander made more easy by the lack of ancient writing or account's of there history.

I know that based on Yorkshire universitys and earlier vitrification experiments some now believe Tap O Noth and the other Scotish hill forts were once high walled, well built fortress/settlements/city's that dominated the land beneath them and provided both safety and tactical advantage to those within, these ancient sites probably had other settlements near by in the valleys and glens were agriculture was practiced and could be more rightly regarded as bronze age stone walled Scottish city's and town's, some believe there end was brought about like other sites around the world at the same time by a climactic shift that probably caused famine, war and tribal migration but who knows what lost secret's, story's, legend's and history these site's which may once have rivalled any other bronze age culture in europe really held.

a reply to: RAY1990

Oh man... what a book this would make.


But with a twist.


We tell a story of love, a story of a family working together to survive. Sawney and his love of his lady and his refusal to be a prisoner to society as they take off to the Caves. And the family grows, and flourishes even.

Off to hunt, but all we see is the stalking and preparation, never the attack. Then the spoils they bring home, but we only see the meat in ways we can't figure out what it is as they feast.


We've lived with them now, grown with them... become attached to them. And in come 400 of the Kings Finest and Hounds and we're all like 'WTF?!?!?!"... and they are slaughtering Sawney and all the Beans and those we've developed Relations and Love for...

and only when it's done and the Survivors are taken to Trial do we learn they were Cannibals the entire time, which then would proceed to Back Story to all the missing people and attacks (which would coincided with the Hunting Parties) with Back Flashes while showing or alluding to the Final Punishment of this Family.

a reply to: RAY1990

Oh man... what a book this would make.


But with a twist.


We tell a story of love, a story of a family working together to survive. Sawney and his love of his lady and his refusal to be a prisoner to society as they take off to the Caves. And the family grows, and flourishes even.

Off to hunt, but all we see is the stalking and preparation, never the attack. Then the spoils they bring home, but we only see the meat in ways we can't figure out what it is as they feast.


We've lived with them now, grown with them... become attached to them. And in come 400 of the Kings Finest and Hounds and we're all like 'WTF?!?!?!"... and they are slaughtering Sawney and all the Beans and those we've developed Relations and Love for...

and only when it's done and the Survivors are taken to Trial do we learn they were Cannibals the entire time, which then would proceed to Back Story to all the missing people and attacks (which would coincided with the Hunting Parties) with Back Flashes while showing or alluding to the Final Punishment of this Family.

a reply to: RAY1990

Oh man... what a book this would make.


But with a twist.


We tell a story of love, a story of a family working together to survive. Sawney and his love of his lady and his refusal to be a prisoner to society as they take off to the Caves. And the family grows, and flourishes even.

Off to hunt, but all we see is the stalking and preparation, never the attack. Then the spoils they bring home, but we only see the meat in ways we can't figure out what it is as they feast.


We've lived with them now, grown with them... become attached to them. And in come 400 of the Kings Finest and Hounds and we're all like 'WTF?!?!?!"... and they are slaughtering Sawney and all the Beans and those we've developed Relations and Love for...

and only when it's done and the Survivors are taken to Trial do we learn they were Cannibals the entire time, which then would proceed to Back Story to all the missing people and attacks (which would coincided with the Hunting Parties) with Back Flashes while showing or alluding to the Final Punishment of this Family.

a reply to: KillerKell

THAT right their would make a great film, the twists and turns, the betrayal people will feel. The audiance would feel it betrayed itself which would just add to the wow factor.

If you've never watched the movie Fight Club don't read on, the reason I liked that film is because the signs were throughout the movie that he had a split personality but you don't find out till th e end, a few movies have used that "with hindsight" effect, with this story you really could exploit that.

Maybe you shouldn't have posted, lots of different people on ATS

originally posted by: RAY1990
a reply to: KillerKell

THAT right their would make a great film, the twists and turns, the betrayal people will feel. The audiance would feel it betrayed itself which would just add to the wow factor.

If you've never watched the movie Fight Club don't read on, the reason I liked that film is because the signs were throughout the movie that he had a split personality but you don't find out till th e end, a few movies have used that "with hindsight" effect, with this story you really could exploit that.

Maybe you shouldn't have posted, lots of different people on ATS

Not like I can make it happen. So if anyone can, feel free to take it and run with it.

Of course, I'd loved to be credited as a 'Consultant'... and of course, appreciate any 'Consultation Fees'.

a reply to: RAY1990
Thanks for the story. It makes me oddly hungry for pork.