The story of Sawney Bean

DISCLAIMER; this has been in multiple publications, but not all events can be proven to be factual

Little is known for certain about his early life, however Sawney Bean is believed to have been born in East Lothian in the late 15th century, and was a tanner by trade. The latter part of his life is a little better documented following his relocation across country to Ayrshire and his marriage.

Newly weds Mr and Mrs bean had move into a cave in Bennane near Ballantrae in Ayrshire. The cave consisted of many different passages where people could easily go into hiding, or in the Beans case, start a family.

Mrs Bean began to produce little baby Bean’s. Fourteen little Beanie babies in total

Most might think that they lived off of fish and what not. However, Mr. Bean had lacked in traded and wanted to resort to robbing villagers and travelers on the narrow roads that connected the village to the area. Mr. bean realized that a problem came along with this. He knew that he would be identified so he had decided to murder them instead.

To avoid those unnecessary visits to the shops for provisions whilst at the same time disposing of any evidence, he came on the bright idea of butchering the bodies to provide a high protein diet of human meat for himself and his wife.

As the Beanie babies grew up and in turn, through incest, produced Beanie babies of their own, their cooking pots increased in size dramatically. Over two decades, generations of Beanie babies grew up in Bennane Cave, refining their skills of murder and cannibal cuisine including, the now lost art of salting and pickling the flesh. Finds of curiously preserved but decaying body parts were discovered washed up on the surrounding beaches in the area.

Local authorities had established what must have been and still to this date, the longest missing person list to this date. Although authorities had mass searches for victims and the cannibals they came up short. Not thinking to search the extensive structural passages throughout the cave.

As the years went by the family grew older and thanks to their high protein diet, bigger. And as the family grew so did their appetite. As many as half a dozen victims would be ambushed and killed at a time in military style operations by the Sawney Bean army. The bodies were taken back to the cave to be carefully prepared for the larder by the women folk.

A second search.

Like before, the search extended through the Ayrshire countryside and coastline and like before, nothing was discovered. That was however, until the dogs picked up the scent of decaying human flesh whilst passing a partly waterlogged cave. The manhunt was closing in! By torchlight the troops entered Bennane cave and with swords drawn, they proceeded down the mile-long twisting passage to the inner depths of the Sawney Bean family lair. Nothing could have prepared them for the sight they witnessed that day. The damp walls of the cave were strewn with row upon row of human limbs and body parts, like meat hanging in a butchers shop. Other areas of the cave stored bundles of clothing, piles of watches and rings and heaps of discarded bones from previous feasts. After a brief fight, the entire Sawney Bean family, all forty-eight of them, were arrested and marched off to Edinburgh by the King himself. Their crimes were considered so heinous that the normal justice system, for which Scotland is so renowned, was abandoned and the entire family were sentenced to death. The following day the twenty-seven men of the family met a fate similar to that of many of their victims, by having their legs and arms cut off and being left to slowly bleed to death, watched by their women. The twenty-one women were burned like witches in huge fires.

Happy Friday! I'm ready to grille!
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a reply to: slapjacks

That was nauseating and very disturbing.

S&F

Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed reading that gruesome story. Some one should turn it into a movie. Yuk

a reply to: Cloudbuster

I believe the "Hills have eyes" was based off of it.

a reply to: slapjacks

Thanks I will check it out. Prob won't watch it as don't have time and young children but will have a looksee.

a reply to: slapjacks


Not just any Friday...

Scottish cannibals? Legen, wait for it,... dary!! Thanks for the gruesome share! I may have read a short version of the story a long time ago so thanks for the reminder.

...May the Fourth Be With You!

a reply to: slapjacks

For some weird reason, it reminds me of Old Man Logan when the Hulk had an army of inbred children.

S&F! Quick, gruesome read. Like being whacked in the back of the head and then having your throat slit and corpse stripped and thrown into the crockpot.