Playing with the Kapre

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature School on Blog [avrotor.blogspot.com]

Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School-on-Air) with Ms Grace Velasco

738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class Monday to Friday

Lesson: The supernatural kapre in Philippine mythology. Describe the kapre, his looks, habits and places he frequents. What is the counterpart of the kapre in your country? Where does he live? Is he diurnal or noctural? Or crepuscular (active during dusk)? Why is there a kapre or its equivalence? In the first place, does he (believed to be male) really exist? What is his mission, if any?

I, for one, saw a kapre. Find it out in a story in this blog. SEARCH Kapre!

A children's world atop a church ruin saddled
by a giant balete tree. (Ficus benjamina)
Family Moraceae. Magsingal, Ilocos Sur.
Balete is the favorite home of the kapre.
Mark Gene and Leo Carlo (cousins) when
they were in their tender age.

He is a friend, he is an enemy;
the world is divided in two;
but who is friend, who is enemy,
when you talk about kapre?
He can be seen, to others unseen,
appears to one, not to another;
at daytime or in the evening;
it's his choice. Oh, brother!
He is kind, although scary;
seldom loved and feared by most,
lonely and misunderstood;
unlike any other ghost.
He watches children passing by
prods them home before dark;
warns them not to tarry where
danger lurks, where dogs bark.
He watches fruits until they're ripe
and shoos away trespassers,
makes loggers sick from guilt,
keeps the menagerie from hunters
He sways in the trees and comes down
awhile to the young in company;
teaching them in discreet allegory 
a unique children's story~