In 2013, a Scottish horror story was turned into a film. It starred David Hayman and was presented and premiered at the Glasgow Film Festival with David as a modern day taxi driver. The story line was taken from the horrific story of one Alexander ‘Sawney’ Bean and his large incestuous family from the late 16th / early 17th century. The cave they inhabited was allegedly located between Girvan and Ballantrae on Scotlands south-west coast and not easily accessable at all times.
The Beans chose to prey on innocent travellers and passers by and being situated north east of the lands of our forebears, is it possible some of our own fell foul to their dastardly deeds?
The Legend of Sawney Bean
But who was Sawney Bean?
The legend suggests that during the reign of James VI/I (1566-1625), the Bean clan through their heinous activities, killed and devoured around 1,000 innocent folks. This has to put Hannibal Lecter to shame and even the legendary Fleet street barber, Sweeney Todd.
It is from this story that the rather infamous horror movie, ‘The Hill’s Have Eyes’ was based.
The story goes that Sawney, who originated from East Lothian near Edinburgh, was the son of either a tanner or a ditch-digger and hedger, depending on the source.
It seems that this form of employment, in fact any labour was not to be for him and he moved to pastures further afield in fact to South Ayrshire. It was here he took up with a women who may have been called Black Agnes Douglas.
Agnes and Sawney were of a similar ilk, both preferring not to follow the path of making an honest living, instead taking up residence in Bennane cave, which at times was hidden and protected by the tides thus allowing them to follow a life of undiscovered crime. Pferring to stay out ofd sight, the crimes were all mcommitted in the cover of darkness.
Their vile activities remained off the radar for 25 years during which time they produced 14 offspring, resulting in a 40 plus inbred family group, all with murderous and cannabilistic tendencies.
Their modus operandi was originally the ambush and robbery of folks who were travelling through the byways and highways near them. But in time it led to severely violent murders after which they transported the maimed bodies back to the cave. It was here they would be fully butchered, hung and eventually devoured by the clan.
Of course as the numbers of missing persons grew and various body parts appeared down the coast, local investigations took place. Sadly the Beans continued to evade detection, and in an attempt to appease local villagers and landowners, scapegoats were named and hanged.
Their luck however ran out when they waylayed a young couple coming back from a fair. They killed and dismembered the young wife but the young lad, having witnessed the gruesome murder of his partner, fought fervently to escape his brutal and insane captors.
It is alleged that the noise from the ruckus attracted other passing fair goers who helped chase of the Bean clan.
They were now exposed and it is claimed that King James VI/I, ordered that a search party be formed to root these people out. It was a large contingent consisting of 400 men with dogs and some say, it was led by the king himself.
Eventually, drawn by the odour of blood, the dogs found both the cave, with their prey cowering in the cave. The smell was horrific and on entering, the pursuers were met with a gruesome sight. The cave was covered in gore and filth, body parts were hung and in some cases pickled in jars from the walls, and piles of loot from the victims were strewn about the floor of the cave. The articles were piled in a manner that suggested robbery came as a by product to their cannibalism, rather than the other way around.
After a reign of terror covering approximately a quarter of a century, Alexander ‘Sawney’ Bean and his brood were captured and transported to the Tolbooth in Edinburgh. The tollbooth was once situated near St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile.
In fact the tradition of ‘spitting’ on the Heart of Midlothian outside the church, is allegedly reminiscent of the disdain for the tollbooth prison itself which once stood near by.
The Scottish judiciary, hearing of their grim and frightful deeds, condemned them all to death for their actions. No one escaped justice, with the women and children burnt at the stake and the men dismembered and allowed to bleed to death, mirroring the manner in which they had treated their victims.
The Legacy
The question is, was the story actually true.
Well, the debate goes on and the legend may be an accumulation and blending of earlier lore. However, like all historical research, to include genealogy, if there are gaping inconstancies and a lack of any real evidence, it probably does not represent a factual rendition.
Many therefore believe the story, which appeared in a pamphlet after the time of the Jacobite uprising, is simply anti – Scottish propaganda by the English.
Outwith the lack of any real evidence, to include judiciary reports, newspaper files and diaries, there is no real proof that the Beans actually ever existed nor in fact people disappeared in their droves associated with this story.
However, what is factual is that during this period of political unrest, there was a concerted effort by our southern neighbours to paint the Scots as uncouth and uncivilised barbarians that needed to be brought to task. The English press at the time chose to ridicule the Scots and paint them in an unfavourable light at every opportunity, often in an attempt to offer a negative comparison to the ‘more civilised and brave’ English.
There is also a hypothesis by some historians that the naming of Sawney’s partner as Black Agnes, may allude to a real historical figure.
In 1338, Agnes, Countess of Dunbar defended Dunbar Castle against a siege laid by the English. The suggestion is that propaganda linking the Countess with this horrific legend was an attempt to defame a person of note in Scottish history.
Whatever the facts of the matter, the story remains in Scottish folklore and has captured the imagination of those well beyond its borders. Its rendition could well sit in popularity along with the gory aspects of some factual historical figures such as William Wallace and Burke and Hare. Of course, as previously mentioned, it is known that Wes Craven’s 1977 film ‘the hills have eyes’, was inspired by the Sawney Bean legend.
Thankfully, it seems that this story of Scottish cannibalism in the western lowlands of Scotland is only an adult fairy tail which relates to those savage bygone times of yore or as some may say…….does it!
Meat pie for dinner anyone?
