The knights of the road : creating a dignified identity on the margins of society

Abstract

Vagabonds, “landstrygere” (tramps), “landevejsriddere” (Knights of the road), “farende svende” (journeymen); dear child has many names. The group I have been following this summer is walking the roads of the Danish countryside, living their lives without a stable home or at least periodically without a permanent residence, on the margins of the society. Most of them are alcoholics. But in spite of these facts that if it was only this to it, might have put them at the bottom of the Danish society, they have a pride in who they are and what they are. They follow their own code of honour, are wearing a kind of uniform with medals and badges, and walk the roads with their belongings in carefully decorated prams. They are usually well received by the people they meet on the road. It seems to be some kind of nostalgic relation between the vagabonds and the Danes that puzzles and interests me. In the thesis I ask the question: What knowledge and skills do the vagabonds have that that makes them able to turn a marginalized position into a mutual and dignified exchange?