The Legend of Kapre

Kapre is another popular mythological creature from the Philippines. It is characterized as a menacing
creature that seeks refuge in big trees and displays human physical attributes but with taller height at
about 7 to 10 feet and more hairy with thick beard, brown skin and deep eyes that makes them appear
more menacing than ordinary human beings.

A Kapre is usually depicted as sitting on a large tree trunk smoking a huge tobacco that emits smoke that
produces a strong aroma that will attract it’s human prey’s attention. They are indeed one of the scariest
mythological creatures told through generation from generation in the Philippines. Most considered
them as just a pigment of the wide imagination of man, but a growing number of people especially in
the countryside have been reporting sightings of these mythological beasts

The term “kapre” was derived from the Arabic term “kaffir”, meaning a non believer in Africans. It is also
related to the Spanish term “kapfre”. According to historical accounts, the early Moors and Arabs used
that term to signify persons who are non-Muslims and who possesses dark complexion. By having
contact with the Moors, the term later on find its way in the language of the Philippines by the Spanish
in their more than three century of colonizing the Philippines.

The legend of the kapre lingers on and still very much alive and infused in the consciousness of Filipinos.
Scores of people from the countryside have reported sightings of a mysterious creature atop a big tree,
usually an acacia, bamboo, narra, banyan (known locally as balete) and mango trees. Sometimes a kapre
can be seen sitting unmindfully under those trees as well.

Wearing only a bahag, a locally made loincloth underwear that covers only the private part of a person,
typical cases has the kapre sporting a belt which the elders believe gives the kapre a magical power that
makes them invisible to the naked eyes anytime they don’t want to be seen.

Kapres are not entirely described as pure evil unlike other Philippine mythological creatures such as the
aswang and the manananggal. Kapres sometimes develops fascination with human beings and had them
reaching out to human beings with the intention of offering a sincere kind of friendship, in some cases
kapres are found to develop being attracted and smitten to a woman.

In this case, it will become a frightening situation for any woman to attract the attention of a kapre
because it is learned that when a kapre fell in love with a female human being, they will pursue this love
throughout the life of that particular woman and tales of a kapre doing everything in his power just to
get the heart of a girl ran abounds through generations past.

Most of the stories about close encounters with kapres involve pranks played by kapres on humans. Not
too long ago a dozen of mountain climbers climbing a mountain in a scenic Philippine province of
Batanggas, become disoriented thus losing sense of their direction. They decided to leave marks on the
trails that they already passed by only to find themselves passing back that same place over and over
again.
Until a local man about 70 years old that lives near the mountain heard their call and helped them by
reciting a prayer and a ritual that pays homage and respect to the kapres asking them to stop the pranks
being played on the mountain climbers. After a few minutes the climbers went on with their downward
trek and were able to find the right place to lowland again.

Some witnesses reports seeing a tree shaking its tree branches and leaves violently even if there’s an
absence of a strong wind. Strong and loud laughter that sends a chilling after effect on the ears of
people around the vicinity of a tree that a kapre resides in are also reported as one of the exhibition of
existence of this mythological creature.

Although they don’t harm people all the time, just the way they display their existence as told by people
who believed that they have seen and proven that the kapres really exists swears that the sight of them
smoking from atop of a tree and staring down on you with those huge, fiery and haunting eyes is enough
to make anybody run like hell.

Whatever the truth about this interesting mythological creature that originated in the Philippines, myth
or fact? It continues to dazzle the mind and the interest of everyone. Scary at times, romanticize in some
accounts of their pursuit of beautiful women, playful, cigar lover. All these add up to the mystery and
what fascinates ordinary people into believing the real existence of kapres and makes even the skeptics
to have an open mind regarding the possibility that kapres do really exist.