Philippine mythology Philippine mythology is rooted in the many indigenous Philippine folk religions. Philippine mythology exhibits influence from Hinduism, Hindu, Islam, Muslim, Buddhism, Buddhist, and Christianity, Christian traditions. Philippine mythology ...

, the kapre is a creature that may be described as a tree giant or ape like, being a tall (), dark-coloured, hairy, and muscular creature. Kapres are also said to have a very strong body odour and to sit in tree branches to smoke.

Origins

The term ''kapre'' comes from the Arabic ''

kafir ''Kāfir'' (; , , or ; ; or ) is an Arabic-language term used by Muslims to refer to a non-Muslim, more specifically referring to someone who disbelieves in the Islamic God, denies his authority, and rejects the message of Islam as ...

'' (Spanish ''

cafre Cafres or Kafs, are people born in Réunion of African origins. This includes people of Malagasy ancestry. Many also have admixture from other ethnic groups. Use of the term Like the Sri Lanka Kaffirs, the name ''Cafres'' is derived from the Ar ...

''), meaning a non-believer in Arabic (usually referring to atheists/idolists). The term was later brought to the Philippines by the Spanish who had previous contact with the Moors, they used it to describe the indigenous

Negrito The term ''Negrito'' (; ) refers to several diverse ethnic groups who inhabit isolated parts of Southeast Asia and the Andaman Islands. Populations often described as Negrito include: the Andamanese peoples (including the Great Andamanese, th ...

ethnic groups with dark skin and features similar to

Black Africans Black is a racial classification of people, usually a political and skin color-based category for specific populations with a mid- to dark brown complexion. Not all people considered "black" have dark skin and often additional phenotypical c ...

. This is also evident in the fact that a synonym for kapre is agtà, another name for the

Aeta people Aeta (Ayta ), Agta and Dumagat, are collective terms for several indigenous peoples who live in various parts of Luzon islands in the Philippines. They are included in the wider Negrito grouping of the Philippines and the rest of Southeast A ...

. The modern mythical characterizations of the kapre evolved from formerly racially prejudiced portrayals of Negrito tribes by the lowland Christianized ethnic groups of the Philippines during the Spanish period. The first attestation of the use of the term was ''chapri'', by

Antonio Pigafetta Antonio Pigafetta (; – c. 1531) was a Venetian scholar and explorer. In 1519, he joined the Spanish expedition to the Spice Islands led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, the world's first Magellan's circumnavigation, circumnavigation, ...

of the

Magellan expedition The Magellan expedition, sometimes termed the MagellanElcano expedition, was a 16th-century Spanish Empire, Spanish expedition planned and led by Portuguese Empire, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. One of the most important voyages in th ...

. They were described by the people of

Suluan Suluan is an island barangay in the Philippines, in the municipality of Guiuan, Eastern Samar. It lies east of Leyte Gulf and west of Emden Deep. The inhabitants of the island were the first Filipinos to trade and interact with Ferdinand Mage ...

to the Magellan crew as dark-skinned, tattooed, and wore

barkcloth Barkcloth or bark cloth is a versatile material that was once common in Asia, Africa, and the Pacific. Barkcloth comes primarily from trees of the family Moraceae, including '' Broussonetia papyrifera'', '' Artocarpus altilis'', '' Artocarpus ...

(except for chieftains who wore a cloth headdress of silk), and had weapons ornamented with gold and large shields. The term ''cafre'' was also used for Papuan slaves brought to the Philippines by the Portuguese before slavery was abolished by Spain.

Natural habitat and attire

Kapres are said to dwell in big trees like

acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as wattles or acacias, is a genus of about of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa, South America, and Austral ...

mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South and Southeast As ...

es,

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...

, and

banyan A banyan, also spelled banian ( ), is a fig that develops accessory trunks from adjacent prop roots, allowing the tree to spread outwards indefinitely. This distinguishes banyans from other trees with a strangler habit that begin life as ...

(known in the Philippines as '' balete''). It is also mostly seen sitting under those trees. The Kapre is said to wear the indigenous Northern Philippine loincloth known as '' bahag'', and according to some, often wears a belt which gives the kapre the ability to be invisible to humans. In some versions, the kapre is supposed to hold a magical white stone, a little smaller in size than a quail egg. Should any person happen to obtain this stone, the kapre can grant wishes.

Behavior

Kapres are believed to be nocturnal and omnivorous. They are not necessarily considered to be evil. However, they may turn vengeful when the tree that they are inhabiting is cut down. A Kapre may make contact with people to offer friendship, or if it is attracted to a woman. If a Kapre befriends a human, especially because of love, the Kapre will push them away because of his negative aura and still try to consistently follow its "love interest" throughout life. Also, if one is a friend of the Kapre, then that person will have the ability to see it and if they were to sit on it then any other person would be able to see the huge entity. Kapres, also called agtà, are said to play pranks on people, frequently making travelers become disoriented and lose their way in the

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...

s or in the woods. They are also believed to have the ability to confuse people even in their own familiar surroundings; for instance, someone who forgets that they are in their own garden or home is said to have been tricked by a Kapre. Reports of experiencing Kapre enchantment include that of witnessing rustling tree branches, even if the wind is not strong. Some more examples would be hearing loud laughter coming from an unseen being, witnessing much smoke from the top of a tree, seeing big red glaring eyes during night time from a tree, as well as actually seeing a Kapre walking in forested areas. It is also believed that abundant fireflies in woody areas are the embers from the Kapre's lit

cigars A cigar is a rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco leaves made to be smoked. Cigars are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes. Since the 20th century, almost all cigars are made of three distinct components: the filler, the binde ...

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

pipe.

References

External links

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Filipino Folklore: Kapre
{{Authority control Mythological human hybrids Philippine demons Trees in mythology Giants Philippine mythology Philippine legendary creatures Tree gods Forest spirits

Origins

Natural habitat and attire

Behavior

See also

Further reading

References

External links