Decoding Migrant Hieroglyphics or Drifter Language: An Anthropological Analysis

Decoding Migrant Hieroglyphics or Drifter Language: An Anthropological Analysis

Patrick L. Dear

The Migrant Code (or “Hobo Code” or “Hobo Alphabet”) has reportedly been around since the 1860s; however, there are many other factors that should be considered—such as its history, evolutionary components, symbolism, and legitimacy. The “Code” was an alleged use of symbols by homeless people who illegally hopped rides on freight cars and trains leaving markers on their journeys for their fellow homeless person to ascertain safe passage. The idea that such a use of symbols may have been utilized during the Industrial Age may propose various other questions. Were symbols such as “The Hobo Code” used? Are these codes still being used today? Has the use of symbols evolved? This also raises many other questions—as media in the past and present somehow glorify these “hobo glyphs”—and in some cases, have also found its way in modern art, such as body modification (tattoos) and graffiti. This paper intends to uncover the conceptions and implementations, as well as observe the influence of culture in the United States as well as other countries. Materials that are used have been collected by The Library of Congress and also various websites that account for the history of these symbols.