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VAGABOND

The Experience of a Vagabond

Angela F. Craig

University of Kentucky

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Abstract

The life of a vagabond is not a very popular subject among societies around the world.
There are many opposing view on vagabonds; some, thinking they are an inspiration, and others,
thinking they are a disgrace. People who become vagabonds have many reasons for leaving their
comfort zone in society; although many reasons are unknown a few common reasons include,
displeasure with society, religious purposes, and issues at home. The most well-known
vagabonds, some of which are included in this essay, document their journeys and educate many
on their adventures across the country. Many people in society that hate the vagabond lifestyle
with mislead prejudices call them names from suicidal to bum. The people in government
positions that disliked the vagrants created laws against them at an attempt to weed out the
vagabond culture.

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The Experience of a Vagabond

There are certain unspoken rules of society that people follow without thinking. The rules
include things such as having a job and a house and not doing anything outside of your comfort
zone. Vagabonds however dont adhere to these unspoken rules set by society. The word
vagabond was derived from the Latin word vagari, which translates to wander. The old
English people added the suffix bundus, creating the term wagabund marking the earliest
record of the word vagabond in 1300. (Unabridged, 2015) A vagabond is a person who not only
lives with no home but often travels with no set destination. The vagabond culture has been
around since the beginning of time. Unlike most cultures the vagrant culture usually lives
isolated or with very few individuals. The vagabonds have very different views from people in
society, some people believe it is an inspiration and think what they do is legendary, other people
believe it to be unintelligent and suicidal. Some of the vagabonds that document their travels
have been an inspiration to other people who can appreciate the nature of what they do and why
they do it, many people, though, compare and unrightfully categorize vagabonds with the
socially unaccepted bum and other slang terms for homeless travelers, the societies went as far as
passing laws against the vagrants not only in our own country but all around the world.
The culture of vagabonds is one of the most unique. It is thought that many religious
people began to wander from society to become a vagabond based on one verse in the Holy
Bible, , Jesus Answered, If you want to be perfect, go , sell your possessions and give to the

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poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me. (Matthew 19:21, NIV). The
religious vagabonds have been looking for a higher level of holiness. Another reason that people
have become vagabonds is due to their distaste in the way society has grown. They cast
themselves away from the world as a break from people and government. A third reason people
set out to become vagabonds is based on difficulties theyre having at home. This can be based
on money issues, abuse, or being displeased with certain restraints. The culture of vagabonds is
one of the most passionate of all cultures. They set out into the world with no destination and one
determination: to find the answers they dont even know the questions to. Some people view
vagrants very negatively and call them suicidal, uneducated, outcasts, and hermits.
Some of the most well-known vagabonds document their journeys. The number of
vagrants could never be exactly determined due to their lack of possessions that connect them to
the rest of the world. One of the most well-known vagabonds (who was also described as a
tramp) was Chris McCandless, who proclaimed himself Alexander Supertramp after he wandered
from his home in Virginia. Chris McCandless not only left to get away from a society controlled
by materialistic possessions, but also due to issues at home as well. (Scott, 2008) As McCandless
set out on his journey, with his eyes set on Alaska, he originally had his old, yellow Datsun. This,
however, changed as a flashflood struck Lake Mead National Recreation Area, where he illegally
parked his car off-road, when the flooded engine would no longer start; consequently,
McCandless striped the car of its tags, burns his money, and sets out on foot, thumbing his way
across America. McCandless found himself all the way in Mexico before he finally achieves his
final destination in Fairbanks, Alaska. McCandless lived on the Stampede Trail in Fairbanks
from April 28, 1992 up until his tragic death in August, 1992. McCandless lived off the Alaskan
land for many months until he presumably ate a potato seed that he described to make him very

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weak and hinder his ability to continue hunting and picking berries for himself. (McNamee,
1996)
Another noteworthy vagabond is St. Anthony, also known as the Desert Father. St.
Anthony became a vagabond at the age of 18 when a verse he heard at church seemingly spoke
directly to him. The verse was Matthew 19:21, which is Jesus speaking to a curious man who
asked him how to become more holy and Jesus replied and told him to sell his worldly
possessions and give them to those in need and go follow him (Matthew 19:21, NIV). St.
Anthony did exactly as Jesus said, he sold his belongings and gave his profit to the needy. He ate
very little at times and occasionally even went two days with no food at all and spent many hours
in prayer. He lived in seclusion for 20 years, then taught other monks compassion, humility, and
love. In the year 356 St. Anthony died by the Red Sea at age 105. St. Anthonys ascetic lifestyle
was not to hurt is health or weaken himself, but was to become one with nature and truly
appreciate Gods beautiful creation. (Feast, 2013)
Robyn Davidson has been considered a vagabond by many and in a way is rightfully so.
Robyn Davidson is a female camel trainer who voyaged
Finally, Noah John Rondeau began his vagrant expedition to Cold River in 1913.
Rondeau was a New Yorker displeased with society, so he hiked beyond the Adirondack
Mountains and subsided in the Santa Clara river drivers logging camp. Content, in his small
rundown cabin he found an escape from people, lifes stresses, taxes, and the government. Noah
set off from his comfortable home in the mountains to see what other beauties in nature lie ahead
of him only to come back to his Cold River home. Rondeau was discovered by hunters and
fishers in the 1920s and rediscovered, in the 30s, by climbers who budded his small cabin home

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the Town Hall of their Cold River City. Rondeau happily left in peace in 1950. (OHern,
2012)
The one thing Chris McCandless, St. Anthony, Robyn Davidson, and Noah John Rondeau
had in common, apart from their vagrancy, was their critics. These four vagabonds have been
called everything from suicidal, to survivalists, to hermits. McCandless was called suicidal by
many of the people he ran into along his journey across America and some people now have
even questioned his sanity. St. Anthony was a pure man but even so people though he took the
context of the Bible too literally and didnt see his need to go to such extreme measures to
accomplish his level of holiness. Robyn Davidson was popularly considered stubborn, she rarely
asked for help even when she needed it. Her camera man kept her company once every few
hundred miles and often tried to stay with her longer, however she never accepted his offer. Noah
John Rondeau was called many names, hermit, survivalist, castaway, but whatever he was,
he loved it. One of the published definitions of the noun vagabond is a carefree, worthless, or
irresponsible person; rogue. (Unabridged, 2015) Although this is not typically the main
definition to be used in the books this published definition has many negative terms used to
define a vagabond. Many people in society have negative views on vagabonds because they
dont understand them, or their choice to leave their comfort zone to go travel the world, walking
across the country, but one could never truly understand unless they personally experienced the
exhilarating vagrant experience for themselves.
Societys confusion with vagabonds led to frustration, which led to unnecessary laws.
Freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.
In 1942 Adolf Hitler explains to Reichsfhrer-SS Heinrich Himmler that those who were unfit

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for community life (asocials, alcoholics, prositutes) should be sent to concentration camps for
life or be killed. Nearly half of the 12,658 asocial prisoners, were the homeless (including
vagabonds, which choose their homelessness), that were sent to concentration camps died
through the extermination through work program from 1942-1943. The Nazis didnt
necessarily have any official laws against vagabonds and other asocials; however, modern day
laws do. In both Lexington, Kentucky and Louisville, Kentucky it is illegal for one to loiter/loaf
in particular public places, obstruct sidewalks/public places, close of a particular public place.
The last two mentioned laws are considered Vagrancy laws which were made to prevent people
from becoming vagabonds. These laws are not very effective for achieving their purpose because
vagabonds often escape society to live on their own authority. (The unsettled asocials, 2013)
Vagabonds are surprisingly similar to the average American. The average American has
complaints about the government, or laws, or taxes, the only difference is vagabonds choose to
act on their displeasure by refusing to be a part of it. Every person has an adventurous spirit. The
average Americans adventurous spirit famishes, while the vagabonds thrive. Vagabonds are
additionally different from everyone in American society because they trust in nature alone to
provide for them, they travel anywhere and everywhere they can, typically on foot, and they
dont think if they dont have a home they are homeless. Homelessness, to them, is a mindset;
home is where the heart is and their hearts are in the wild.
Vagabonds who venture off into the land that become inspired to document their journey
are often better known than those who dont record of anything along their journey, but there are
many more than just the vagabonds we see journals from, some vagabonds often write of the
many other vagabonds they meet along their route. The vagabonds get a very negative

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connotation from society due to the many differences they impose. The negativity from society
eventually led to a large number of laws against vagrants (along with hobos, bums and other
homeless). The laws created against these free spirited individuals, however, dont seem to tread
on their independent, free willed mannerisms. Vagabonds are a thing of the past to some people,
some say theyre living the life of the old age, but it is also a life of the future for others who will
choose to pursue a life of freedom and enjoyment in nature.

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Apathy, Passion, and Alexander Supertramp. (2004). Juniata Voices, 445-50.

By, Thomas McNamee. 1996. Adventures of alexander supertramp. New York Times (1923Current file), Mar 03, 1996. http://ezproxy.uky.edu/login?
url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/109576944?accountid=11836 (accessed
September 28, 2015).

Feast: January 17 (September 13, 2013) St. Anthony, desert father retrieved from the Passionist
Nuns website: http://www.passionistnuns.org/Saints/StAnthonyDesert/index.htm

Freedom. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved October 05, 2015, from Dictionary.com
website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/freedom

Homes not Handcuffs: The Criminalization of Homelessness in

U.S. Cities July, 2009

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10

OHern, William J. (December 5, 2012) Noah John Rondeau, Adirondack Hermit retrieved from
the Noah John Rondeau website: http://noahjohnrondeau.com/

Scott, A. O. 2008. The most social guy who ever wanted to ditch society. New York Times
(1923-Current file), Jan 06, 2008. http://ezproxy.uky.edu/login?
url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/897765214?accountid=11836 (accessed
September 28, 2015).

The inspiration: Robyn Davidson. (2008). Australian Geographic, (90), 112.

The unsettled, "asocials" (2014, January 16). Retrieved September 29, 2015 from the Center for
Holocaust & Genocide Studies : University of Minnesota website:
http://chgs.umn.edu/histories/documentary/hadamar/asocials.html

Vagabond. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved October 01, 2015, from Dictionary.com
website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/vagabond