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Not all donkeys have a cross on their back, but most of them do. The distinctive cross pattern consists of a dark stripe along the donkey’s spine from the mane to the tail and a perpendicular stripe across its shoulders. Experts suggest that it arises from the species’ genetic makeup, but the cross’s visibility can vary depending on the donkey’s coat color. For instance, donkeys come in a range of colors from white to gray or black, and the contrast of the cross may be more or less visible depending on these colors.
Some researchers think that the donkey’s cross marking comes from a common ancestor of donkeys, horses, and zebras, because many of these animals have some kind of banding or striping on their coats. It is also thought that these markings played a role in camouflaging, which helps conceal animals in the wild.
There are many different legends and folktales about the donkey’s cross. In the Christian Bible, for example, Jesus is described as riding a donkey into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday (Matthew 21:5). Legend has it that after Jesus was sentenced to death, the ever-loyal donkey followed him as he carried his cross to Calvary, the site of Jesus’ Crucifixion. As Jesus hung on the cross, the donkey became so grief-stricken that it turned its back to look away from its master’s suffering. A shadow of the cross then fell across the animal’s back, and from then all donkeys bore the marking. Partly because of this association with Jesus, donkeys often serve as a symbol of peace and humility.
