Cleek's Clan were a group of legendary Scottish cannibals under the leadership of Christie Cleek. They are considered by some to be the inspiration behind the far more well-known tales of Sawney Bean - the legend of Cleek and his clan predate those of Bean but have largely been overshadowed by Sawney. While the two stories are very similar there are some differences between them that make for the possibility that Cleek and Sawney both existed or were based on previous crimes (though many believe the current Sawney tales are a mix of both).
History[]
The Cleek Clan were not related by blood, instead they were a group of desperate individuals united under the need to survive during a great famine. Under Cleek's command the group cannibalized members of the group who had passed away but in the process of committing such a grisly act the entire group began to develop a taste for human flesh.
This led to them hiding with Cleek in the Grampians where they would engage in ambushes so as to capture, kill and devour riders. The Clan were reported to have successfully murdered at least thirty or so riders before their activities alerted the attention of authorities from nearby Perth, who sent armed forces into the area to pursue and capture the cannibalistic group. Most of them were captured and executed, but Christiecleek himself and a few others managed to escape.
See Also[]
- Bean Clan - the much more famous, incestous family of Sawney Bean.