“Homo viator” is a term invented by the Christian Existential philosopher Gabriel Honore Marecel which reflects the notion that humans are on a spiritual journey, or pilgrimage, from conception to death. Despite distancing himself from the traditional philosophy of religion, Marecel’s concept of Homo Viator was very likely influenced by St. Augustine’s and brings to mind his often quoted statement from The Confessions: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You”.
Medieval Christians perceived themselves as pilgrims, or peregrini, with the concept of pilgrimage identified as the emblem of a lifelong journey.
Thus, for medieval people traveling in time and space had a spiritual dimension and ideally they journeyed not for diversion, but for enrichment. This required the process of travel to be assimilated and understood in a way that made this possible. This idea transcends its links to Christianity and retains its power as a motif in the secular world up to the present. Tolstoy once wrote that “All great literature is one of two stories: a man goes on a journey, or a stranger comes to town.” An assertion that was to be enthusiastically embraced by Hollywood.
The road movie retains the idea of experience gained by travel modifying the individual and maintains its spiritual underpinnings. Both of Tolstoy’s archetypal scripts involve travel, a subtle connection which may speaks to an intrinsic link between travel and the resulting encounters that create meaning from accumulated experiences.
The aesthetics of travel has recently acquired the status of a popular subject. Together with the rise of post-colonial studies, contemporary literary criticism has taken pains to discuss the issues related to the discovery of new lands and the exploration of hitherto unexplored territories. These territories can also be virtual or psychological landscapes as well as geographical ones.
