Weirdest People In History: Sawney Bean, The Scottish Cannibal
Wikimedia CommonsA piece of art depicting Sawney Bean outside of his cave.
The legend of cannibal Sawney Bean and his family has scared Scottish children for hundreds of years. Some are convinced that it is just folklore, but others think that the terrifying man and his family really did exist.
Bean’s cannibalism and reclusiveness secured his place amongst history’s weirdest people. Legends say that in the 15th and 16th centuries in Scotland, Bean and a female companion hid out in a cave for 25 years. They had multiple kids who ended up having children of their own through incest.
The Bean clan had 48 members and they are allegedly all responsible for eating over 1,000 people who they caught and brought back to their secluded cave.
Tony Page/Wikimedia CommonsThe entrance to Sawney Bean’s cave in Scotland.
Sawney Bean led his family on this gruesome journey. They operated in complete secrecy, only leaving the cave to hunt at night. Once they captured their prey, they would take them back home where they would be promptly dismembered and eaten. The pieces of their victims that weren’t eaten right away would be pickled and saved for later.
However, one night, the clan chose to attack a man who proved to be a more than worthy opponent. The man was highly skilled in combat and fought the Bean family long enough for others to hear the commotion and come to help.
They retreated back to their cave but the damage was done. A search party was organized and the family was found. They were all captured and sent to a jail in Edinburgh, and a short time later they were executed for their horrendous crimes.
There is much debate over whether or not Sawney Bean was an actual person or if his crimes were as grisly as legends say they were. But one thing everyone can agree on is that throughout history, no one’s story is quite as weird as the reclusive, cannibal Sawney Bean.
After this look at some of history’s weirdest people, check out the biggest psychopaths in history, and then read about America’s biggest quack, Dr. Henry Cotton.
