Christie Cleek
Legendary Scottish cannibal and bogeyman from the 14th century.
Christie Cleek (also known as Christie o'-the-Cleek, Chwsten Cleek, or Criste Cleik) is a legendary Scottish cannibal reported to have lived during a severe famine in the fourteenth century. According to folklore, his real name was Andrew Christie, a butcher from Perth, and he used his skills as a butcher to slaughter people. His story shares some similarities with the better-known legend of Sawney Bean, but it is older, with documented references from the 15th century onward.
- also_known_as
- Andrew Christie, Christie o'-the-Cleek, Chwsten Cleek, Criste Cleik, Tristicloke
- field
- Folklore, cannibalism legend
- nationality
- Scottish
- known_for
- Cannibalism during a 14th-century famine; using a hook to drag victims from horses
- era
- 14th century (severe famine)
- earliest_documented_reference
- c. 1420 (Andrew of Wyntoun's Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland)
Lore & Background
According to folklore, Christie's real name was Andrew Christie, a butcher from Perth. During a severe famine in the mid-fourteenth century, he joined a group of scavengers in the foothills of the Grampians. When one of the party died of starvation, Christie butchered the corpse to provide food for his companions. The group developed a taste for human flesh and, under Christie's leadership, began to ambush travellers in the passes of the Grampians, feeding on their bodies and those of their horses. It is alleged that before attacking, Christie would haul his victims from their mounts with a hook on a rod; thirty riders apparently died at his hands.
Reader's Guide
Christie Cleek occupies a notable place in Scottish folklore as an early cannibal legend, predating the more famous Sawney Bean by several centuries. His story appears in Andrew of Wyntoun's Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland (c. 1420) and in Holinshed's Chronicles (c. 1577), which describe a figure who, during a time of great famine, stole children and killed women for food. The name 'Cleek' means 'hook' or 'crook' in Scots, alluding to the iron hook he reportedly used to hang victims or drag horsemen from their saddles. Over time, Christie Cleek became a bogeyman figure used to frighten children; Cheviot's Proverbs (1896) notes that for centuries the mere mention of the word 'Christiecleek' was sufficient to silence the noisiest child. The legend's persistence into modern popular culture is evidenced by the novel The Bogeyman Chronicles, based on his story. Christie Cleek thus serves as an early example of how folklore transforms historical famine and violence into a cautionary tale and a supernatural threat.
Did You Know?
- The name 'Cleek' means 'hook' or 'crook' in Scots, referring to the iron hook he used to drag victims from their saddles.
- According to some accounts, Christie escaped execution, changed his name to David Maxwell, became a rich merchant in Dumfries, and only confessed his crimes on his death bed.
- The earliest known reference to Christie Cleek appears in Andrew of Wyntoun's Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland, written around 1420.
- In Holinshed's Chronicles (c. 1577), he is called 'Tristicloke' and described as an 'uplandish fellow' who fed on human flesh 'as if he had been a wolf.'
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