Annotation:Swaney Bean

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X:1 T:Sawney Bean M:C L:1/16 R:Air Q:"Slow" B:”Melodist: A Collection of music in two volumes" (1826-1859, No. 49, p. 27) N:The melodist is a musician's ms., probably by a fiddler, that contains both N:tunes and songs from a variety of sources, American and European. The N:inscription on the inside cover reads, "This is from the Bridge family of N:Augusta, Maine (Horatio Bridge, friend of Hawthorne's)". However, entries in N:the ms. were in different hands indicating several contributors. N:The ms. is neat and the notation studied and precise. F:https://archive.org/details/Melodist/page/n27/mode/2up?view=theater Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:Emin z2|B3cd3e dB3g3f|{f}e3^de2g2 B6e2|dB3BG3 A3B/c/ B2A2|G4E4E4:| |:c4|B3cd3e {e}d6 cB|A3Bc3d {d}c6 BA|G3AB3c B!fermata!e3 z2B2|c2B2A2G2 {G}F4 z2E2| E6 FG F6 GA|G3FG3A B4 z2e2|dB3BG3 A3Bc B2A2|G4E4E4:|

SAWNEY BEAN. Scottish(?), Air (whole time). E Minor. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAABB. According to Wikipedia, "Alexander 'Sawney Bean' is a legendary figure, said to be have been the head of a 45-member clan in Scotland in the 16th century that murdered and cannibalized over 1,000 people in 25 years. According to the legend, Bean and his clan members were eventually caught by a search party sent by King James VI and executed for their heinous crimes." The legend proved durable, but there is little evidence that Swaney or his clan ever existed, nor is there proof of the depredations they were accused of.

"Swaney Bean" was entered into the anonymous 1826-1859 music manuscript collection entitled Melodist: A Collection of music in two volumes (No. 49, p. 27).

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