In Philippine folklore, the kapre is a giant, dark, tree-dwelling creature traditionally described as smoking a cigar or pipe.
Kapres are usually portrayed as tall, hairy and muscular, sitting on branches or hiding among large trees. Folklore gives them a strong body odor and associates them with eerie nighttime encounters. A kapre may frighten travelers, cause people to become lost, or play tricks near the tree where it lives, but stories do not always portray it as purely evil.
The being belongs to Philippine mythology rather than one single standardized religious system, so details vary across regions and retellings. Its image is especially associated with old trees, including enormous trees believed to be inhabited by spirits.
The name is commonly linked to the Arabic word kāfir, transmitted through Spanish cafre during the colonial period. That history should not be confused with the creature’s folklore identity. A kapre is also different from the tikbalang, a horse-headed or horse-like trickster, and the manananggal, a winged, severed-torso monster.