Sawney Bean
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2008-07-15T12:40:07Z
Frecklefoot
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[[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 225725301 by [[Special:Contributions/69.15.111.122|69.15.111.122]] ([[User talk:69.15.111.122|talk]])
[[Image:Sawney beane.jpg|thumb|right|''Sawney Beane at the Entrance of His Cave.'' The woman in the background carries a severed leg.]]
{{refimprove|date=November 2007}}
'''Alexander "[[Sawney]]" Bean'''('''e''') was the head of a 48-member clan in [[16th century|16th-century]] [[Scotland]], [[execution (legal)|executed]] for the mass murder and [[cannibalism|cannibalisation]] of over 30 to 40 people.
The story appears in ''[[The Newgate Calendar]]'', a crime catalogue of the notorious [[Newgate Prison]] in London. While historians tend to believe that Sawney Bean never existed, his story has passed into [[legend]] and is part of the [[Edinburgh]] [[tourism industry]].
==The legend==
According to ''The Newgate Calendar'', Alexander Bean was born in [[East Lothian]] during the 16th century.[http://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/lpop/etext/newgate/beane.htm] His father was a ditch digger and hedge trimmer, and Bean tried to take up the family trades but quickly realized that he had little taste for honest labour.
He left home with a vicious woman who apparently shared his inclinations. The couple ended up at a coastal cave in [[Bannane Head]], near [[Galloway]] (now [[South Ayrshire]]) where they lived undiscovered for some twenty-five years. (The cave was 200 yards deep and during high tide the entrance was blocked by water, and is said to be today's Bennane Cave, located between [[Girvan]] and [[Ballantrae]] in Ayrshire).
Their many children and grandchildren were products of incest and lawlessness. The brood came to include eight sons, six daughters, eighteen grandsons and fourteen granddaughters. Lacking the gumption for honest labour, the clan thrived by laying careful ambushes at night to rob and murder individuals or small groups. The bodies were brought back to the cave where they were dismembered and cannibalised. Leftovers were pickled, and discarded body parts would sometimes wash up on nearby beaches.
The body parts and disappearances did not go unnoticed by the local villagers, but the Beans stayed in the caves by day and took their victims at night. The clan was so secretive that the villagers were not aware of the forty eight murderers living nearby.
In a frenetic quest for justice, the towns people lynched several innocents, and the disappearances continued. Suspicion often fell on local innkeepers since they were the last to see many of the missing people alive.
One fateful night, the Beans ambushed a married couple riding from a fair on one horse, but the man was skilled in combat, deftly holding off the clan with sword and pistol. The clan fatally mauled the wife when she fell to the ground in the conflict. Before they could take the resilient husband, a large group of fairgoers appeared on the trail and the Beans fled.
With the Beans' existence finally revealed to the world, it was not long before [[King James VI of Scotland]] (later [[James I of England]]) heard of the atrocities and decided to lead a manhunt with a team of four hundred men and several bloodhounds, soon finding the Beans' cave in Bannane Head. The cave was rife with human remains, having been the scene of a thousand plus murders and cannibalistic acts.
The clan was captured alive and taken in chains to the [[Tolbooth Jail]] in [[Edinburgh]], then transferred to Leith or Glasgow where they were promptly executed without trial; the men had their genitalia cut off, hands and feet severed and were allowed to bleed to death, and the women and children, after watching the men die, were burned alive. (This recalls, in essence if not in detail, the punishments of [[hanging, drawing and quartering]] decreed for men convicted of [[treason]] while women convicted of the same were burned. Presumably—whether or not the story had an actual basis—cannibalism was considered the equivalent of treason.)
The town of [[Girvan]], located near the crime scene, has another legend about the cannibal clan. It is said that one of Bean's daughters eventually left the clan and settled in Girvan, where she planted [[The_Hairy_Tree#The_Hairy_Tree|the Hairy tree]]. After her family's capture, the daughter's identity was revealed by angry locals who hanged her from the bough of the Hairy Tree.
== Sources and veracity ==
Whatever the truth may be, Sawney Bean is often considered a mythic figure. The Ayrshire area is known for dark folklore, and the implausibility of four dozen people evading capture for a quarter of a century has sown the seeds of scepticism amongst many [[historian]]s.
The multitude of disappearances should have led to more expeditious investigation of the area; though mass searches for the missing persons were said to be conducted, it is odd that no one thought to look in the cave earlier on. Moreover, there is a notable lack of written sources; such a long string of atrocities resulting in the involvement of King James VI of Scotland should have generated historical records, but so far none have been uncovered.
A recent article by Sean Thomas<ref name=Thomas>{{cite web
| last = Thomas
| first = Sean
| title = In Search of Sawney Bean
| url= http://www.forteantimes.com/features/articles/129/in_search_of_sawney_bean.html
| accessdate = 2008-05-18 }}</ref> expresses significant doubt about the accuracy of the Sawney Bean legend:
:''"...from [[broadsheet]] to broadsheet, the precise dating of Sawney Bean's reign of anthropophagic terror varies wildly: sometimes the atrocities occurred during the reign of [[James VI of Scotland|James VI]], whilst other versions claim the Beans lived centuries before."
This dating could place the murders as far back as the days of [[Robert the Bruce|Bruce]], or even [[Macbeth of Scotland|Macbeth]]. Thomas continues,
:''"Viewed in this light, it is arguable that the Bean story may have a basis of truth but the precise dating of events has become obscured over the years. Perhaps the dating of the murders was brought forward by the editors and writer of the broadsheets, so as to make the story appear more relevant to the readership ... To add to the intrigue, we do know that cannibalism was not unknown in mediæval Scotland and that Galloway was in mediæval times a very lawless place; perhaps nothing on the scale of the Bean legend took place, but every story grows and is embroidered over time."''
Thomas also notes that newspapers and diaries during the era when Sawney Bean was supposedly active make no mention of ongoing disappearances of hundreds of persons.
Moreover, according to nutrition researchers, a group of forty-eight would have consumed far more people than alleged in ''The Newgate Calendar''. In order to survive for some twenty-five years, the Beans would have depopulated the entire southwestern region of Scotland. {{Fact|date=February 2007}} However, this presumes that the entire diet of the family was cannibalistic, a notion not addressed in the Legend.
The legend of Sawney Bean first appeared in the [[United Kingdom|British]] [[chapbook]]s (rumour magazines of the day), which today leads many to argue that the story was a political [[propaganda]] tool to denigrate the Scots after the [[Jacobite Rising|Jacobite Rebellions]]. Thomas disagrees by noting:
:''"If the Sawney Bean story is to be read as deliberately anti-Scottish, how do we explain the equal emphasis on English criminals in the same publications? Wouldn't such an approach rather blunt the point?"'' (See also "[[Sawney]]" for this theory).
== Sawney Bean in popular media ==
The legend of Alexander "Sawney" Bean has been chronicled in various media, including such print sources as
*''Historical and Traditional Tales Connected with the South of Scotland'' by John Nicholson, [[1843]]
*''The Legend of Sawney Bean,'' by Ronald Holmes, London, [[1975]]
*''The Flesh Eaters,'' by L.A. Morse, Warner Books, [[1979]]
* ''Cannibalism: The Last Taboo,'' by Brian Marriner London; Arrow, [[1992]] [http://www.tursa.com/sawneybean.html]
*''The Galloway Gazette'' [[November 28]], [[1994]]
*''Finding Serenity, Anti-heroes, Lost Shepards and Space Hookers in Joss Whedon's Firefly'', edited by Jane Espenson [[2004]]
*''The Monarch of the Glen, An American Gods Novella'', by Neil Gaiman [[2004]]
*[[Mick Lewis]]'s novel ''The Bloody Man'' also deals with the myth of Sawney Bean, which is also mentioned in the fictional novel ''Paying the Piper'' by [[Sharyn McCrumb]]. [[Jack Ketchum]]'s novel ''Off Season'' is an update of the Sawney Bean legend, with the cannibalistic clan headquartered in a sea cave on the [[Maine]] coast.
*The [[short stories]] "She's a Young Thing and Cannot Leave Her Mother" by [[Harlan Ellison]] and "They Bite" by [[Anthony Boucher]] make reference to the Bean family, as does [[Neil Gaiman]]'s short story, "The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish", in which the titular goldfish are named "Sawney" and "Beaney". The legend also plays a part in Gaiman's [[2004]] [[novella]], "The Monarch of the Glen" (in his [[2006]] collection, ''Fragile Things''). The horror story "The New Wing" by F.R. Welsh deals directly with the Bean legacy, with the legendary events said to have occurred during the reign of [[James I of Scotland]].
*Sawney Bean was also mentioned in a [[BBC]] radio play called "Vampirella", an adaptation of the short story "The Lady of the House of Love" by [[feminist]] author [[Angela Carter]]. In this version, Sawney's wife escapes death and finds a job working for the family of [[vampires]] in the play. Sawney talks about his life leading up to his death.
*The [[punk rock]] band the [[Real McKenzies]] recorded a song entitled "Sawney Beane Clan". British [[neofolk]] outfit [[Sol Invictus]] recorded a song entitled "Sawney Bean".<ref name="Sol">[http://www.tursa.com/lyrics/sawneybean.html lyrics] to "[http://www.tursa.com/sawneybean.html Sawney Bean]"</ref> Musician [[Snakefinger]]'s "Sawney Bean/Sawney's Death Dance" (from his album, ''[[Night of Desirable Objects]]'') tells the tale of the clan and its eventual comeuppance, as does the concept album, ''Inbreeding the Anthropophagi'' by American death metal band [[Deeds of Flesh]].
*He was depicted in an edition of "Arcade Comics" published by [[R. Crumb]] and others during the 1970s. Also depicted in "D.O.A. Comics, No. 1" by Jim Osborne, published 1976, where Beane's dates are given as ca. 1390 to 1437.
*A five-page story written by [[Paul Kirchner]] and illustrated by [[Tom Sutton]] is part of the comic-anthology "The Big Book of Bad", 1996, [[Paradox Press]], ISBN-1-56389-359-2.
*''[[The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning]]'' graphic novel details the fictional history of the descendants of Sawney Bean, a group of murderous, cannibalistic [[Mutants (The Hills Have Eyes)|mutants]].
*The book ''Madhouse'' by [[Rob Thurman]] features Sawney Beane as the main villain.
*Certain editions of the [[Guinness Book of World Records]] (for example, the 1973 edition) mention the "Beane" family in their Crime section.
Several low-budget movies have adapted the Sawney Bean story:
*[[Wes Craven]] directed the [[1977]] movie ''[[The Hills Have Eyes (1977 film)|The Hills Have Eyes]]'', which sets the [[Jupiters Clan|cannibal clan]] in modern-day [[United States|America]]; a 2006 remake of the film was made by [[Alexandre Aja]] and Gregory Levasseur and reimagined the cannibal clan as deformed [[Mutants (The Hills Have Eyes)|mutants]].
*[[Gary Sherman]]'s ''[[Death Line]]'' (aka ''Raw Meat'') depicts the Sawney character as a derelict living in the [[London Underground]] [[metro|subway]] tunnels.
*In [[2003]] [[Christian Viel]] directed ''Evil Breed: The Legend of Samhain'' (aka ''Samhain''), a soft-core version of the Sawney legend set in modern-day [[Ireland]].
*2005 saw the release of an award-winning U.K./Canada co-produced animated short, ''The True Story of Sawney Beane''. [http://www.nfb.ca/trouverunfilm/fichefilm.php?id=51965&v=h&lg=en&exp=].
*2006 saw the release of [[The Asylum]]'s ''Hillside Cannibals,'' with Bean portrayed by [[Leigh Scott]].
*Nicholas David Lean's film ''Hotel Caledonia'' [http://pro.imdb.com/title/tt0913393/] is a modern re-telling of the Sawney Bean story.
*There is a Sawney Bean display in the [[London Dungeon]] [[wax museum]]. Along with other London Dungeon displays relating to cannibalism, this is located just outside the snack bar.
*In the [[White Wolf]] [[role-playing game]], [[Vampire: the Masquerade]], the cannibalistic Dunsirn branch of the incestuous [[Giovanni]] clan may have originated from the legend of the Beane family.
*Sawny Bean and the Cannibal Army released their first album "No More Crack Cocaine" in June 2007 and disbanded in November 2007
*"Sweeney Todd : The Real Story of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street" by Peter Haining mentions Sawney Bean and his tale.
*[[Guy N. Smith]]'s 1986 novel "Cannibals" is based on the legend of Sawney Bean.{{fact|date=March 2008}}
*An episode of the [[BBC]] SF-serial [[Torchwood]] dealt with members of the organization uncovering and fighting a clan of cannibals living in a remote village (albeit set in [[Wales]]).
*[[Anthony Horowitz]]'s book of short horror stories, "Horowitz Horror" has a reference to Sawney Bean in one of the stories.
==See also==
* [[Christie-Cleek]], another legendary cannibal
* The [[X-Files]] Season 4 Episode 2 "Home" features the "Peacock Family". A family much based around the Sawney Bean Clan.
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
== External links ==
*[http://www.ayrshirescotland.com/sawneybean.html Photos and information]
*[http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/legends/sawney_bean.html The Legend of Sawney Bean]
*[http://www.virtualscotland.co.uk/scotland_articles/famous-scots/sawney-bean.htm Sawney Bean - A Famous Scottish Cannibal/Mass Murderer]
*[http://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/lpop/etext/newgate/beane.htm The Complete Newgate Calendar (Sawney Bean(e))]
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/scotland/s_sw/article_1.shtml Sawney Bean: Scotland's Hannibal Lecter]
*[http://www.oceanstar.com/horror/sawney.htm The Sawney Beane legend, from post to soc.culture.celtic]
*[http://www.ayrshirehistory.org.uk/sawney/myth.htm Sawney Bean: Myth or Myth by R.H.J. Urquhart]
*[http://www.sawneybean.com The Lords of Darkness]
*[http://www.girvan-online.net/?node=379 Debate on the existence of the Hairy Tree in Girvan]
*[http://www.murderuk.com/cannibal_sawney_bean.html Sawney Bean] from MurderUK
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