Kapre
Old balete, acacia and mango trees
A kapre is described as a very tall, very dark, hairy figure that sits in the branches of a large old tree, usually smoking an enormous cigar and often wearing a salakot. You are said to know one is present before you see it, because the air under the tree smells of tobacco.
Unlike most of the creatures on this page, a kapre is not really a predator. It is territorial. It watches.
Why it is tied to the balete
The balete — the Philippine strangler fig — is the tree most associated with the kapre, and it earns the reputation honestly. A mature balete grows by enveloping its host tree, leaving a hollow braided trunk you can sometimes stand inside. It is a tree shaped like a hiding place.
Because of that, warnings about balete trees and warnings about kapre tend to arrive together: do not cut it, do not build too close, do not pass beneath it at noon or midnight without saying tabi-tabi po.
Encounters, as they are usually told
Typical accounts involve a farmer, a caretaker or a child who sees a figure in the branches, is stared at, and afterwards is unwell or unwilling to talk. Some versions hold that a kapre may take a liking to a person and follow them, which is treated as a misfortune rather than a gift.
Kapre — Common Questions
What is a kapre?
A kapre is a tall, dark, tree-dwelling figure in Philippine folklore, usually pictured smoking a large cigar in the branches of an old balete, acacia or mango tree. It is more often described as a territorial watcher than a killer.
Why are balete trees considered haunted in the Philippines?
The balete is a strangler fig that grows around a host tree and often leaves a hollow, tangled trunk. That distinctive shape, plus its size and age, made it the tree most associated with kapre and other spirits in Filipino folk belief.
