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Donkey

Donkey
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#redirect : Animalia #redirect : Chordata #redirect : Mammalia #redirect : Perissodactyla #redirect : Equidae #redirect : Equus species: asinus
Binomial name
Equus asinus

The donkey, ass or African ass (Equus asinus) is a domesticated animal of the horse family, Equidae. The wild ancestors of the donkey are African.

Table of contents

1 Appearance 2 Relationship to horses 3 Economic use 4 Cultural aspects 5 Etymology of the name 6 Symbolism with Democratic Party 7 External links

Appearance

Relationship to horses

Economic use

Donkeys have a longstanding reputation for stubbornness, but this is due to some handlers' misinterpretation of their highly-developed sense of self preservation. It is difficult to force or frighten a donkey into doing something it sees as contrary to its own best interest. Although formal studies of their behaviour and cognition are rather limited, donkeys appear to be quite intelligent, cautious, friendly, playful, and eager to learn. Once you have earned their confidence they can be willing and companionable partners in work and recreation. For this reason, they are now commonly kept as pets in countries where their use as beasts of burden has disappeared. They are also popular for giving rides to children in holiday resorts or other leisure contexts.

In prosperous countries, the welfare of donkeys both at home and abroad has recently become a concern, and a number of sanctuaries for retired donkeys have been set up.

Cultural aspects

• The ass was a symbol of the Egyptian god, Ra
• The ass was a symbol the Greek god Dionysus.
• Greek mythology includes the story of King Midas who judged against Apollo in favor of Pan during a musical contest, and had his ears changed to those of a donkey as punishment.
• There are numerous references to donkeys in the Hebrew Bible
• The gospels have Jesus Christ riding a donkey into Jerusalem; this has given rise to a legend that this is the origin of the cross on a donkey's shoulders.
• An Indian tale has an ass dressed in a panther skin give himself away by braying, while one of Aesop's fables similarly has an ass dressed in a lion skin who gives himself away by braying.
• A German proverb claims a donkey can wear a lion suit but its ear will still stick out and give it away.
• English proverbs include better be the head of an ass than the tail of a horse, if an ass goes a-traveling, he'll not come back a horse and better ride on an ass that carries me home than a horse that throws me (though all these are now obsolete).
• European folklore also claims that the tail of a donkey can be used to combat whooping cough or scorpion stings.
• The donkey has long been a symbol of ignorance. Examples can be found in Aesop's Fables, Apuleius's The Golden Ass (The Metamorphoses of Lucius Apuleius) and Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream
• Because of its connection with ignorance, in modern slang, reffering to someone as a dumbass means that they are unintelligent. Many people would find this term vulgar and rude.
• The word Ass has entered every day use in the English language as a term used to describe a person who resembles a donkey in some way, such as appearence, stubborness, intelligence, etc.

Symbolism with Democratic Party

External links