Alexander "Sawney" Bean (sometimes also given as Sandy Bane, etc.) is a legendary figure, said to have been the head of a 45-member clan in Scotland in the 16th century that murdered and cannibalised over 1,000 people in 25 years. According to the legend, Bean and his clan members were eventually caught by a search party sent by King James VI, and were executed for their heinous crimes.
The story appeared in The Newgate Calendar, a sensationalised crime catalogue loosely connected with Newgate Prison in London. It has since passed into folklore and become a part of the Edinburgh tourism circuit.
Legend
According to The Newgate Calendar, a popular London publication of the 18th and 19th centuries, Alexander Bean was born in East Lothian during the 16th century. His father was a ditch-digger and hedge-trimmer; Bean tried to take up the family trade but quickly realised that he was not fit for the work.
He left home with an allegedly vicious woman named 'Black' Agnes Douglas, who apparently shared his inclinations and was accused of being a witch. After some robbing and the cannibalisation...
Floydian_Psychology :sonnenrad: :windmill_of_friendship: :sonnenrad:
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