Аннотация:Abstract Sawney Bean, patriarch of a cannibal family who robbed, killed and ate travellers, is a well known character in modern Scotland. Doubt is often expressed as to whether the story of Sawney Bean is “history” or “legend.” The paper argues that, although it may now be regarded as a popular legend, it originated in eighteenth-century English commercial publishing. Its survival is aided by the fact that it is a “good story” to tell to tourists.
