Giants are the most terrifying creatures of myths around the world, they often describe as a bad, stupid, and violent creatures, they were featured in a movie called "Jack the Giant Slayer" but did you know about the Philippine Folklore about the Kapre?
According to Philippine Mythology, the man holding a cigarette that is almost inexhaustible but is lit and sitting on top of a large tree about ten feet high is called Kapre or sometimes elsewhere in the Philippines is Agta.
If its eyes can be seen glaring at the red and it has a beard, it is said that its smoker has a strange smell that attracts and catches the attention of the person who will be its victim.
Wearing an apron and a leash as its belt, Kapre is able to hide from human eyes and show only if he wants to, according to the stories, Kapre just prefers to sit in a tree and watch different people passing through the tree where it lives.
According to the story, Kapre lives in large trees such as balete, acacia, caimito, manga, and other trees that are large and covered with many fireflies.
According to the story, it also has a magical stone that is only the size of a quail egg, and whoever gets the stone, Kapre can fulfill any request.
Kapre is not an animal or a monster, it is said to be a guardian element of a tree or a place.
People know this creature differently, some see him as evil but others are kind to him, let's just say that he just likes to sit at the top of a tree and when he thinks of playing he will play, and when he sees you rude, it will target you.
Kapre is one of the most feared by children in every province because of its scary appearance and its reddened eyes, who is a child who is not afraid to be told like this? unlike ghosts or predators, it is said that Kapre is different because he is kind, in fact, he is still friends with people and gets along well, but do not be deceived by the kindness of Kapre they do not hurt but it is playful mostly in mountain climbers.
It also has the ability to show places and houses that the victim will forget where he is, just like what happened to the mountain climbers who climbed a mountain in Batangas, according to them, so that they do not disappear they leave marks on every way they go but they go back and forth to the same place, some say they see a big tree shake and its branches and leaves fall but there is no wind and they hear a scary laugh from the tree, but the mountaineer came home safe.
The Kapre is loving and fond of women, according to the story, there are many cases that while a woman is asleep she is being molested by a Kapre, saying that when a Kapre likes a woman, he will do everything to get this woman, a Kapre is too obsessive when it comes to falling in love with a woman, they are too jealous and selfish, saying that she is the only one he will love in his whole life and he will follow her wherever she goes, Kapre is in short stalker.
So do not be surprised if the leaves move on the trees you pass by.
There are stories that the kapre brought or took them and take them to their kingdom inside the tree where it is mysterious, it is said that it picks up the victim and wraps it in a large leaf and makes it into a cigarette.
According to those who believe, in order to escape a playful Kapre, it is necessary to take off your clothes and have them turned over and put on again, this will help to lose the oration (Magic) it gave to you and you can also say "Tabi tabi po. " when passing through a large tree so that the Kapre will not disturb while resting if there is one already living.
But for Christians such methods will not work in Kapre, what is needed is a strong believer to drive away such creatures, saying that Christians who are inside the chaplain of a Kapre are praying from the scriptures that come from in the bible.
The word "Kapre" comes from the Arabic term "Kaffir" or an insulting word for black Americans because of their color and calls to non-Islamic believers who believe in using black magic, it is also from the Spanish term which means "campfire" and people who use dark magic.
The word Kapre is "cafre" and is used to refer to the Papuan slaves brought by the Portuguese to the Philippines.
With so many stories from the provinces, there are some who are really focused on just like Kapre who lives in a tree in Malacañang Palace.
It is said that there was a kapre living in the Malacañang Palace where it was named "Mr. Brown", according to the story it has long lived in an old balete ball that still stands since the 1800s
According to Miguel Rubio, the chef protocol of Malacañang, it is said that Mr. Brown is like beating them up, he always greets them with a good morning and checks him if he is alright so that they do not play with him, the news also spread that a pastor saw it, compared to other pastors, Pastor Pangilinan believed in this creature.
According to the pastor, he was summoned to a workshop because one of his workers said that he had seen a strange creature, when he arrived at the place, he found eight people holding the woman, two people holding each leg in force. and they could not release it because it was disappearing, according to another co-worker they saw the woman looking out the window and as if someone was talking but no one else, after this incident the woman fainted and it slowly collapsed and also the clothes she wore was rising itself and various marks began to appear on her body.
It took about five hours for the said Kapre to leave the woman, the pastor prayed for her, according to the pastor the kapre lived behind the tree where the woman was working and had an interest in the woman so he was exploited.
Many say it is just an imagination and fiction of people in the province to scare children, but why do some adults keep saying they see it?
If you are new to a place and there are a lot of big above, it is good to be careful and do not go crazy, do not look for it, because when you find him then he can also find you, he will take you to his kingdom.
If you are one of those who have not seen Kapre, it is good that we follow some reminders that are side by side, it does not mean that what we do not see is no longer true.
Let us learn to respect the things we do not see and so that if they are true we will not disturb them and will not discriminate against us if you smell something good when you pass a punk and you think you look up and see smoke and two red eyes staring at you is good not to stare at it anymore and run and pray so that you do not chase and for the good of your life.
Pray, Respect, and Run for Life.
Source and Reference
[1] Wikia.org, Mythology wiki, Kapre
[2] SuperPower wiki, Kapre Physiology
[3] Dread, Asian (February 19, 2016), KAPRE: the Philippine tree giant
[4] Pangilinan, Hiram (January 16, 2014) Hula, Multo, Faith Healing ATBP
[5] Wikipedia, Kapre