HIRAETH (PRONOUNCED HEERAEE) IS A GLORIOUS WELSH TERM that can be loosely translated into English as “longing.” Yet its true meaning has a great deal more nuance to it than simple longing.
Hiraeth describes a deep, inborn sense of yearning for a home, a feeling, a place, or person that is beyond this plane of existence.
Hiraeth could also relate to feelings of nostalgia or a wistful yen for something you know you cannot go back to, yet your being feels the pull of it, the grief of knowing it no longer is, no longer can be.
Hiraeth can include a mix of longing, yearning, nostalgia, wistfulness. It has to do with a strong attachment you once had—but time, distance, death, or circumstances caused a separation and you are keenly aware of the loss, and you yearn to reestablish that former intimacy.
It is homesickness for the places from your past you cannot return to. Hiraeth can also mean nostalgia for your past self, the people who are long gone, or the emotions you used to feel. But it can also describe a sense of yearning for imaginary places, feelings, and people. Sometimes it feels as if you suddenly take a glance into your previous life and connect with the people and things that existed long ago.
Old souls are among those people who know what hiraeth is better than anyone. These individuals are more prone to feelings of nostalgia and unexplained sadness. According to the ideas of New Age spirituality, old souls are believed to be more intuitive, better connected with their inner self, and more likely to remember their past lives. If you relate to these beliefs, you could regard hiraeth as a connection to your previous incarnations.
In this case, it is a feeling of longing for the places that were your home, the people who were your family, and the things you did in your past lives. It is just one way to view this emotional state. If we go with logic, a person with an old soul’s characteristics translates into a deep-thinking introvert. It is someone who is highly contemplative, a dreamer, and an abstract thinker. Such people are prone to feeling pensive or sad for no obvious reason.
We have all felt this emotional state at some point in our lives, but most of us had no idea there was a name for it. It is an unexplainable longing, but you do not know who or for what you long.
... for Stefanie.
Daniel J Jachimiak, BA, is a writer and speaker. Dan can be reached at djachimiak@bex.net or 419-787-2036.
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