A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

Overview

Ucay is the enchanted prince in the Bicol account supplied by Pedro D. L. Sorreta from his grandfather. His father forces him to marry a woman other than the young witch he loves. The rejected lover changes the city into a forest, its subjects into animals and Ucay into a monkey dwelling in the tallest tree. Her condition for release requires five centuries and a girl who will live with him and love him above everything else.

After four centuries people begin building among the trees, eventually placing a church near his home. He abducts two women who die of fright. Later he carries away a young woman who has herself been deserted by a lover. A noble expression in the monkey’s eyes arouses her sympathy; she remains with him, eats unfamiliar delicious fruit and grows to love him.

On the tenth evening she finds herself beside a human prince in an ornate room. He explains his past, and the following morning she is crowned queen of the restored subjects. The tale says the time of release has arrived but does not separately measure the remaining century. No monkey skin is removed or burned. Fansler’s suggested parallels with Buddhist lore and European enchantment tales are comparative speculation, not independently demonstrated sources for this particular telling.

Human prince changed into a monkeyEnchanted city and animal subjectsCenturies-long conditionRestored through a woman’s love
01

Origins & earliest records

Philippines; Pedro D. L. Sorreta, identified here as Bicol from Virac, Albay; heard from his grandfather

02

Records & interpretation

Complete tale and shared comparative notes read in the retained 1921-edition transcription.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    Filipino Popular Tales

    Dean S. Fansler, collector and editor; source: Pedro D. L. Sorreta, identified here as Bicol from Virac, Albay; heard from his grandfather · 1921

    Tale 41, The Enchanted Prince, pp. 301–304; American Folk-Lore Society

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

Primary records and illustrations

Complete narrative and all attached notes inspected

Dean S. Fansler, Filipino Popular Tales (American Folk-Lore Society, 1921)

Part I, Hero Tales and Drolls. Tale 41, The Enchanted Prince, pp. 301–304

Cache fansler-41.txt and master fansler1921.html. Source chain: Pedro D. L. Sorreta, identified here as Bicol from Virac, Albay; heard from his grandfather. Main narrative and comparative variants kept distinct.

Inspect the digitized plate · Source collection manifest

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Historical collected folktaleFansler, tale 41, The Enchanted PrinceResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

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