Hi,
In literature this saying is used quite a bit, at least in English and
Jewish literature. For instance in the Adventures of Pinocchio we find
the line,
"Poor Pinocchio! He even tried to tear his hair, but as it was only
painted on his wooden head, he could not even pull it. " in Chapter
23.
Aesop uses the term as well in a short fable called the Minister
Fable One. The Miser.
A miser sold all that he had, and bought a lump of gold, which he took
and buried in a hole dug in the ground by the side of an old wall. He
went daily to look at it. One of his workmen, observing his frequent
visits to the spot, watched his movements, discovered the secret of
the hidden treasure, and digging down, came to the lump of gold, and
stole it. The miser, on his next visit, found the hole empty, and
began to tear his hair, and to make loud lamentations. A neighbor,
seeing him overcome with grief, and learning the cause, said, "Pray do
not grieve so; but go and take a stone and place it in the hole, and
fancy that the gold is still lying there. It will do you quite the
same service; for when the gold was there, you had it not, as you did
not make the slightest use of it."
In Shakespeare's Rape of Lucrece we find the line used as well.
"She wants Time to allow her attacker time to tear his hair, rave,
despair, see his friends turn to foes. "
Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking Glass has this passage
It's only a rattle,' Alice said, after a careful examination of the
little white thing. `Not a rattleSNAKE, you know,' she added hastily,
thinking that he was frightened: only an old rattle - quite old and
broken.'
`I knew it was!' cried Tweedledum, beginning to stamp about wildly and
tear his hair. `It's spoilt, of course!' Here he looked at Tweedledee,
who immediately sat down on the ground, and tried to hide himself
under the umbrella.
This saying is always used surrounding extreme grief, in older
literature. In more modern times it has boiled down a bit to mean
utter frustration.
The first usage, though it is not correct in the quotation, is from
the book of Job, chapter 1 verse 20 when Job has heard the news of
this family's destruction. There are a few translations which say that
he "began to tear his hair" which is not really accurate. Job tore his
clock and "cut" or "shaved" his hair. However, be that as it may, this
is the moment of pain and heartbreak and utter frustration, the saying
is born from.
Thanks,
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