The donkeys mostly carry this cross which they inherited from their African ancestors. The cross of St Andrew (also called Cross of Palestine which is one of the first places of the domestication of donkeys) is composed of darker hairs, often black. The legend tells us that it is on the back of a donkey that Mary, mother of Jesus, fled Egypt. To thank his mount, the Virgin blessed him, thus drawing a cross on his back; Latin cross, one of the symbols of Christianity. As the donkey carries this cross for life, the Devil can neither ride it nor take its form.