As the name suggests, it is the hoof of a black donkey. Legend has it that it can restrain zombies, especially monsters such as zombies that have transformed into corpses. It has been mentioned many times in the famous online novels "Ghost Blowing the Lamp" and "Tomb Robbery Notes", but it is actually a fabrication in the novel. Whether it has any specific function has not been confirmed so far. This legend may be because Zhang Guolao's donkey is a sacred object, so later generations believe that the donkey's hooves can restrain zombies. Generally speaking, it takes more than 50 years for a donkey's hooves to have the legendary effect!
Legend 2: Black donkey hooves are not black donkey hooves, but a product of glutinous rice. According to ancient legend, glutinous rice has a restraining effect on zombies. Black donkey hooves are made of glutinous rice using Maoshan secret techniques. The shape is like a donkey's hoof and its color is black, so it is called black donkey's hoof. Like a magic weapon to restrain zombies, grave robbers usually prepare it, and it is only useful for zombies. Legend 3: It was originally a mule and horse bell from a caravan, a very thick old copper bell with a melodious sound. Can be hung on the back of the door as a doorbell. There are also some archaeologists who carry them with them when they are living in the wild in case of accidents. It has a very good effect of warding off evil spirits and warning. In the early years of the Republic of China, almost every archaeological and expedition team in the Western Regions had one person. Legend 4: In daily life in northern rural areas, wheat straw, firewood, dried livestock dung, etc. are often used as fuel when burning kangs. Among them, the dung of livestock is trampled by livestock in the livestock kiln, dries, and gradually takes the shape of hooves. So it was called "hoof". There is also a lot of Taoist tradition here, and Taoists are called "yin and yang".
In ancient times, donkey hooves were one of the traditional secret medicines. The Chinese have a deep traditional attachment to animal feet (that is, hooves), which still exists today. For example, pig hooves, cow hooves, bear hooves, even chicken feet, duck paws...the soles of all animals are very superstitious, and are regarded as a panacea for health and longevity and a delicious delicacy.
There is a folk recipe of "Huanhun Decoction", which uses donkey hooves as medicine. When a mother has a difficult delivery or is in a coma after childbirth, she boils water with an unseen donkey's hooves and drinks it. Legend has it that it can save her life and the effect will be immediate. This is the "Resurrection Soup". Donkey hooves that have never seen the light of day are the fetuses that have never been born in the belly of a female donkey. Because they are rare, people often hide them in secret when they get them, except when a close relative is in danger.
Why is the legendary donkey's hoof associated with tomb robbing? There is another reason related to a person - Zhang Guolao, one of the "Eight Immortals" in ancient China. The most famous thing about Zhang Guolao is his mount, a donkey. Zhang Guolao was also very curious about riding a donkey, riding backwards. Zhang Guolao was able to ride backwards because the donkey had spirituality. The donkey's spirituality lay in its four feet. It could walk at night without getting lost, all thanks to its four feet. Therefore, the tomb robbers, as "staff" in the dark, have a desire in their hearts, hoping to make a fortune by borrowing the donkey's feet, so that they will not miss it due to getting lost.
Zhang Guolao is said to be the son of a white bat spirit. No one knows how old he is. One said that he was older than the Yellow Emperor, the ancestor of China, and another said that he was from the time of Emperor Yao. These are all myths and legends. Did Zhang Guolao ever exist before in history? The answer is yes, it was Zhang Guo, a charlatan in the Tang Dynasty. There is "Zhang Guo" in the "Old Book of Tang: Biography of Fang Ji" (Volume 201), ranked after a group of Feng Shui masters and pharmacists of the Tang Dynasty such as Yuan Tiangang and Sun Simiao. Legend says, "I don't know who Zhang Guo is. Ze Tianshi hid in Zhongtiao Mountain and traveled between Fen and Jin. People at that time said that he had long-standing secret skills, and he was hundreds of years old."
The tomb robbers were superstitious about Zhang Guolao and believed in his "divine power". In ancient China, all walks of life had their ancestors. Who did ancient Chinese tomb robbers regard as their idols? One said it was Zhang Guolao. Zhang Guolao knows things like a god, knows ancient and modern times, and is also good at Feng Shui. It is precisely because of his vast supernatural powers that tomb robbers regard him as a protective god. They hope to rely on his divine guidance to explore the tombs with rich burials. Make a fortune by stealing treasures.