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Sawney Bean / Beane: Tall Tale Or Truth?

MrRING

MrRING

Android Futureman
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Aug 7, 2002
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You know, the horrorfying cannibal clan?

Here's a link if you haven't heard the story:

http://www.oceanstar.com/horror/sawney.htm

But, what I was wondering - has anybody used archaeology to prove this actually happened, as opposed to just being a story? Or that maybe they were country people who were executed under trumped-up charges, but were actually hated because of, say, older pagan religious practices?

Has the infamous cave ever been found/explored? And is our belief in this just from a single written source?
 
Bennane cave

No need for archaeology!

The reason we know what we know is because it was investigated at the time. It was a genuine murder enquiry rather than a fairy tale. Yes, they found the cave. Yes, it was a mile long and intricate. Yes, there were human bones.

Its all horribly real.

Sawney was acompanied by an army of 48 people.

All canibalistic.

P.S My "No need for archaeology" was just a figure of speech......it would be great to do a dig here but it would be in the full knowledge that you are in the right place.
 
According to a BBC Scotland documentary it was just a tall tale. It was first told South of the Border and sprang from a time of particularly strong cross-border antagonism.

There were a few accademics on the programme but I can't remember who they were so I can't vouch for the accuracy of the information.

Cujo
 
Yeah, many believe it to be myth and many believe it to be true.

They cant know...and so my mind is reserved.

If it is possible for the nessie to exist then it is possible that Sawney did too.

No smoke without fire and all that jazz
 
what a story! how come it hasn't been glorified in magnificent technicolor yet?
 
siriuss said:
what a story! how come it hasn't been glorified in magnificent technicolor yet?
Click to expand...

It has, kind off.

There's a Robert Carlisle movie based on it and didn't the makers of Canable: The Musical know the story rather well?
 
jamesveldon said:
It has, kind off.

There's a Robert Carlisle movie based on it
Click to expand...

Ravenous is based on this? Haven't seen it yet but thought it was an American Civil war thingy?
 
siriuss said:
Ravenous is based on this? Haven't seen it yet but thought it was an American Civil war thingy?
Click to expand...

I thought Ravenous was based on the Native American legend of the Wendigo. Bloody good film whatever it's based on.

Cujo
(favourite quote: "If you die first, I'm gonnae eat you")
 
I thought that the movie that was based on Sawney Beane was Wes Craven's The Hills Have Eyes.

I actually heard of the case a long time ago in a one page comic in Creepy Magazine, illustrated by Frank Frazetta of all people.

The reason it occured to me that it might just be a legend is that I've never seen pictures of any cave that matches where the crimes happened, and I don't know the source of the story.

Is there a consensous out there in "Fortean Times" land? Has no academic ever studied it?
 
jamesveldon said:
There's a Robert Carlisle movie based on it and didn't the makers of Canable: The Musical know the story rather well?
Click to expand...

CANNIBAL: THE MUSICAL! was based on the Alfred Packer murders.
 
All these unsolved murders in the UK, 100,000s of people going missing over the last ten years. Do you lot think that even in these days there could be cannibal cults in existence? It'd certainly account for all those missing people. :eek!!!!:
 
Sawney Bean's Cave.

Does anyone know of any photographs of Sawney Bean's Cave? I realise that there is more than one contender as the actual cave, but I find it odd that it is impossible to find a picture anywhere on the web.

I ask because my wife was in a discussion on another message board with a gentleman who claimed that he had taken photos' of the cave, only to have them stolen from his room a few days later. Only the cave pictures were taken, family photos' from the same roll of film were left!
 
I realise it's bad form to bump your own thread, and, yeah, I'm a newbie, but does no-one know anything about SBs' cave?

Maybe this should have been posted into the 'Conspiracy' forum? :confused:
 
It seems like Sawney Bean's whereabouts is actually technically uncertain; there is some thought it might even be legendary rather than fact.

There is another thread elsewhere that I started on Sawney Beane, I'll try to find it!
 
Here is the earlier Sawney Beane thread in Notes

[Now merged here (above) - rynner]

and for fun, here is a thread about Sweeney Todd, where I was trying to find out if his real shop still existed, that is similar in that it may or may not have happened:

http://www.forteantimes.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7783
Link is obsolete - the cited content has been merged into this thread.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks for your replies people!

Like I said, it is impossible to find a photo of any cave purporting to be that of SB.

My wife posts on another forum and got into a conversation with a guy who had tried to take photos of the cave most generally assumed to be the one.

This is the story.

Apparently this guy and his family where on holiday near to SB's cave and decided to take the chance to visit. They parked their car and began to walk towards the shore. As they were about half way towards the cave, two 4WD vehicles drew up and two men, dressed in black, got out of each vehicle. The men simply stood and watched the family, they didn't try to follow them. The guy and his family became uneasy, and returned to their car, whereupon the four men got back into the 4WDs and drove slowly off.

A few days later, the bloke tried again, and this time managed to get down to the cave entrance. He went in a short way but became uneasy and, after taking piccies of the cave entrance, he left.

He had the photos developed while still on holiday, and, as I wrote at the beginning of this thread, had them stolen from his hotel room. But only the pics of the cave were taken, others were left.

I would like to stress that we only have this info through the forum that my wife posts on, but it's still a fact that ...

...You can't find pictures of Sawney Beans cave!!
 
Cavynaut said:
...You can't find pictures of Sawney Beans cave!!
Click to expand...

Since SB is most probably only English propaganda, that's not too surprising....

Sorry. :)
 
ExiledOutlaw said:
Or in Ayrshire!:)
Click to expand...
Or, Dumfries and Galloway? :D

There's plenty of legends along that coast, but I've never heard of any clear indications as to where the cave might be.
 
DerekH said:
'Cos if he didn't exist, then there's no actual cave....
Click to expand...

But there are photographs of an oak reputed to be associated with Robin Hood, despite the lack of historical proof of his existence, there are photographs of different hill forts etc reputed to be the site of Camelot, despite the lack of proof about King Arthur.

Let me put it another way.

I find it odd that there are no photographs of the 'reputed' cave of the legendary character Sawney Bean.
 
Cavynaut said:
But there are photographs of an oak reputed to be associated with Robin Hood, despite the lack of historical proof of his existence, there are photographs of different hill forts etc reputed to be the site of Camelot, despite the lack of proof about King Arthur.

Let me put it another way.

I find it odd that there are no photographs of the 'reputed' cave of the legendary character Sawney Bean.
Click to expand...
Aye, pal. And what kind of Robin Hood/King Arthur type, do you think Sawney Bean is oaney way? More o' a Charlie Manson I'd a' said.

I cun jist see a Grade 1 listed stuck oan his gaff 'n aw! :D
 
However, This Historic-UK.com Web Site mentions a 'Bennane Cave, near Ballantrae, Ayrshire. Ballantrae exists, at least.

But, nobody can pin the Bean family down to within a couple of hundred years of maybes. ;)
 
I just thought that some enterprising entrepreneur along the Galloway coast would've done something..

And then gone into partnership with a local butcher selling 'Sawney Bean (Long) Pork Pies'.
 
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