Fact or folklore? Donkeys at Halloween

So Ben, you might not think donkeys and Halloween go hoof in hand – but people might be surprised to learn that they hold historical and folkloric associations with the celebration.

Absolutely, donkeys are a fascinating subject when it comes to Halloween. Although they are not a central animal figure in ancient Halloween traditions – we typically think of black cats or bats – if we look back to ancient times, many believed that donkeys were linked to death and the underworld, key themes of Halloween.

In fact, archaeologists have found the skeletons of ten donkeys carefully buried at the burial site of the first Egyptian kings just less than 5,000 years ago – not just highlighting their believed importance in the afterlife of the King, but also documenting the origins of their domestication as a species.

One of the more intriguing beliefs some hold is that donkeys are ‘seers’ – that they have the extraordinary gift of being able to see beyond what us humans can. What might form the basis of this spooky thought?

From a physiological standpoint, donkeys see, hear and smell things that we don’t. Not because they have mystical powers but because they have a different range of senses, compared to ours.

They see fewer colours than we do but have a greater range of vision without moving their heads, allowing them to see behind them as well as in front. Their sense of smell is believed to be one hundred times more powerful than ours, and they use it to identify potential threats and social messages from other donkeys.

They have a different hearing range to humans, allowing them to hear higher-pitched sounds than we do. So, when donkeys are standing staring into the distance, they are trying to use their sensory superpowers to understand their world.

So if you ever see a donkey stop suddenly and stare ahead on Halloween night, they haven’t spotted a spectral visitor?

Never say never, but it’s more likely they have seen, heard or smelled something that has previously been scary for them or something novel they don’t yet understand and are trying to learn about.

How about if a donkey begins braying loudly? Some folklore has suggested that the donkey’s bray can ‘ward off’ evil or even be the sound of an ‘ill omen’.

If that were true, the sanctuary’s donkeys would be scaring away hundreds, if not thousands, of these omens every week! Thankfully this isn’t the case. 

Instead, the donkey’s bray is a unique way to communicate with other donkeys or people. Their bray is especially effective at being heard over long distances. 

Sometimes donkeys bray when unwanted visitors visit their paddocks, especially at night. Foxes, badgers or stray dogs can set of round of braying that scares the unwanted guests.

Beyond the idea of donkeys being ‘seers’ or ‘protectors of evil’, do you know of any other Halloween myths concerning donkeys?

Donkeys’ roles in such events are very much regional with them being seen as protectors against evil spirits in Mexican and African folklore and are considered lucky in Greek traditions.

Mules can symbolise resilience and adaptability and are sometimes seen as omens or spirit animals representing perseverance.

This Halloween night, we may see many donkey-themed costumes on the streets of the UK when youngsters begin their trick-or-treating. When someone wears a donkey costume, what are they representing?

Unfortunately, donkeys are often symbolised as being stubborn or stupid, a myth that The Donkey Sanctuary constantly seeks to correct. The real characteristics of a donkey are strength, thoughtfulness, perseverance and stoicism.

And finally Ben, any final thoughts on why donkeys deserve a place in our Halloween reflections, despite not being traditionally spooky?

Halloween seems to be an event based on threats, fear and spookiness. 

Sadly, the reality is that many donkeys worldwide face daily threats from terrible practices like the skin trade.

Many live in fear due to poor handling and misunderstanding of their human companions. And lots of donkeys lack the training and handling they deserve to prevent the spookiness they experience in new situations or with their routine veterinary care.

The Donkey Sanctuary is working hard to correct all of these situations.