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A bindle is the bag, sack, or carrying device stereotypically used by the American sub-culture of hobos. The bindle is colloquially known as the ''blanket stick'', particularly within the Northeastern hobo community.
A hobo who carried a bindle was known as a bindlestiff. According to James Blish in his novel, ''A Life for the Stars'', a bindlestiff was specifically a hobo who had stolen another hobo's bindle, from the colloquium ''stiff'', as in steal.
In modern popular culture the bindle is portrayed as a stick with cloth or a blanket tied around one end for carrying items, with the entire array being carried over the shoulder. This transferred force to the shoulder, which allowed a longer-lasting and comfortable grip, especially with larger heavier loads. Particularly in cartoons, the bindles' sacks usually have a
“Folding a Paper Bindle”
2017, National Forensic Technology Training Center.
“Paper Evidence Fold”
2014, VDFS, Virginia. {{Bags Bags Luggage Forensic equipment
A bindle is the bag, sack, or carrying device stereotypically used by the American sub-culture of hobos. The bindle is colloquially known as the ''blanket stick'', particularly within the Northeastern hobo community.
A hobo who carried a bindle was known as a bindlestiff. According to James Blish in his novel, ''A Life for the Stars'', a bindlestiff was specifically a hobo who had stolen another hobo's bindle, from the colloquium ''stiff'', as in steal.
In modern popular culture the bindle is portrayed as a stick with cloth or a blanket tied around one end for carrying items, with the entire array being carried over the shoulder. This transferred force to the shoulder, which allowed a longer-lasting and comfortable grip, especially with larger heavier loads. Particularly in cartoons, the bindles' sacks usually have a polka-dot
Red polka dots on a yellow background
Girl wearing polka dot dress
Polish ceramics
German ceramics
Polka dot is a pattern consisting of an array of large filled circles of the same size.
Polka dots are commonly seen on children's clothing, ...
or bandanna
A kerchief (from the Old French ''couvrechief'', "cover head"), also known as a bandana, bandanna, or "Wild Rag" (in cowboy culture), is a triangular or square piece of cloth tied around the head, face or neck for protective or decorative pur ...
design. However, in actual use the bindle can take many forms.
One example of the stick-type bindle can be seen in the illustration entitled ''The Runaway'' created by Norman Rockwell
Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was an American painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of Culture of the United States, the country's culture. Roc ...
for the cover of the September 20, 1958, edition of ''The Saturday Evening Post
''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely ...
''. This depiction has led to a standard in modern cartoons for if a character runs away.
Though bindles are virtually gone, they are still widely seen in popular culture as a prevalent anachronism.
The term ''bindle'' may descend from the German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
word ''Bündel'', meaning something wrapped up in a blanket and bound by cord for carrying (''cf.'' originally Middle Dutch
Middle Dutch is a collective name for a number of closely related West Germanic dialects whose ancestor was Old Dutch. It was spoken and written between 1150 and 1500. Until the advent of Modern Dutch after 1500 or c. 1550, there was no overarc ...
''bundel''), or have arisen as a portmanteau of ''bind'' and ''spindle''.
Powder packet
''Bindle'' is also a term used in forensics. It is the name for a piece of paper folded into an envelope orpacket
Packet may refer to:
* A small container or pouch
** Packet (container), a small single use container
** Cigarette packet
** Sugar packet
* Network packet, a formatted unit of data carried by a packet-mode computer network
* Packet radio, a fo ...
to hold trace evidence: hairs, fibers or powders. Similarly, ''bindle'' is sometimes used to describe a small package of powdered drugs.
See also
* Carrying pole *Sarcina
The ''sarcina'' was the marching pack carried by Roman legionaries, the heavy infantry of the Roman legions.
Most of a legionary's equipment other than his arms and armour would, in early times, have been consigned to a baggage train and b ...
References
External links
“Folding a Paper Bindle”
2017, National Forensic Technology Training Center.
“Paper Evidence Fold”
2014, VDFS, Virginia. {{Bags Bags Luggage Forensic equipment