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Mana refers to a supernatural force said to exist
within all things, sometimes associated with
maternal magic|maternal or lunar magic|lunar magic
in mythology.

==Polynesian origin==

The word originates in Polynesian religion, and
its modern use is a result of the popularization
of the concept by anthropology and, to a great
extent, by certain varieties of fantasy fiction.
In Polynesian culture (e.g., Hawaiian
people|Hawaiian, Maori|Māori), mana is
analogous to respect, but it combines elements of
respect, authority, power, and prestige. To have
mana is to have influence and authority. This
property is not limited to persons—peoples,
governments, places, and inanimate objects can
possess mana. In Hawaiian language|Hawaiian, mana
loa means great power or almighty.

==Universal archetype==

The concept of mana has been, in various other
cultures, the power of magic; however, it was not
the only principle, and others included the
concept of sympathetic magic and seeking the
intervention of a specific supernatural being,
whether deity, saint, or deceased ancestor.

The magic of mana was embedded into all talismans
and fetishes, whether devoted to ancient gods,
Roman Catholic saint relics, the spiritual
being|spirits of the ancestors, or the underlying
element that makes up the universe and all life
within it.  The concept of mana has been used in
various cultures to justify human sacrifices, as
the lives or blood of sacrificial victims might
contain supernatural powers whose offering would
please a deity.

===Related cultural concepts===

The concept of a life-energy inherent in all
living beings seems to be a fairly universal
archetype, and appears in numerous ancient
religions and systems of metaphysics (in addition
to having been borrowed by George Lucas's
science-fiction films). 

Analogies to mana in other societies include:

* Egyptian mythology : Egyptian soul|ka
* Greek mythology : ichor
* Inuit mythology : inua, sila (Inuit
mythology)|sila
* Leni Lenape mythology : manetuwak
* Norse mythology : mana
* Proto-Indo-European concept: anema ("breath of
life", whence comes the word animal)
* Yoruba mythology : oloddumare

Also related are the philosophy|philosophical
concepts of:

* Chinese philosophy : qi (or chi), Tao 
* Japanese philosophy : ki
* European alchemy and philosophy : aether, (or
ether), quintessence
* Hindu philosophy : prana

===Biblical===

The Polynesian word "mana" is not to be confused
with the Hebrew "manna", which (according to the
Bible) is a mysterious substance provided
miraculously by God to the Hebrews in the desert.
Some modern critics believe this may have been an
edible wafer (cooking)|wafer or sap of a variety
of cactus found in the Sinai peninsula. Christian
use of the word "manna" in reference to this,
according to some, is thus unrelated to the
Polynesian concept of "mana" (although there are
definite archetypal similarities). "Man hu", or
"manna" in the Hebrew language is translated as
"what is it", and is likely only a False
friend|phonetical coincidence with mana.

==Political use of the term mana==
The word Mana is found in the names of several
political parties promoting Polynesian causes,
notably the two New Zealand political parties Mana
Motuhake and the Mana Maori Movement.

==Mana in fictional works==

In some fantasy settings and games (in particular
role-playing games), "mana" is a natural energy
resource which is used or channeled by wizards to
cast Magic (game)|magic spells. This use of the
term was coined by Larry Niven in his 1978
novella, The Magic Goes Away, which deals with
mana as a limited natural resource, becoming
depleted. The use of the word outside of
anthropological circles may well derive from this.
 (See magic point for more on mana in games.)

In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth|universe, mana
is a Quenya word believed to mean "what is".
http://www.uib.no/People/hnohf/qlist.htm

==See also==

*Mythology and religion:  Inua,  Sila, Magic
(paranormal)|Magic Polynesian mythology, Honor,
Animatism, Egyptian soul, Ark of the Covenant, Ten
Commandments, Elemental, Sacrifice, Great
Apostasy, Oloddumare 

----

==Miscellaneous==

Other unrelated uses of the word mana include:

* Mana (Musician), a Japanese artist known as "The
Queen of Visual Kei" and founder of Malice Mizer
and Moi Dix Mois.
* Maná (Mexican Rock Band)|Maná, a famous 1990s
Mexico|Mexican music group; Also see Maná
(musical group). 
* The name of a rather expensive 'hi-fi' equipment
rack.
* Mana, Guyane, a commune of French Guiana
overseas département of France.
* Secret of Mana, a RPG for the Super Nintendo
Entertainment System.
* Legend of Mana, part of the same series of games
(Seiken Densetsu) as Secret of Mana.  Legend of
Mana was released for the Playstation.

==External Links==

* http://www.pantheon.org/articles/m/mana.html
Encyclopedia Mythica, Mana-like concepts in other
cultures