Mythology and religion: Inua

Mana is a traditional term and a concept among the speakers of Oceanic languages, including Melanesians, Polynesians and Māori. It is an impersonal force or quality said to reside in people, animals and inanimate objects which provide an observer with a sense of wonder or respect. In anthropological discourse, mana as a generalized concept has attained a significant amount of interest; often understood as the precursor to genuine religion. It has commonly been interpreted as "the stuff of which magic is formed," although this vie ...

Including:

• Mana - Mana in Oceanic culture
• Mana - Universal archetype
• Mana - Similar cultural concepts
• Mana - Mana in anthropological discourse
• Mana - Mana in fantasy

Read more here: » Mana: Encyclopedia - Mana

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, 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 H ...

See also:

Mana, Mana - Mana in Oceanic culture, Mana - Universal archetype, Mana - Similar cultural concepts, Mana - Mana in anthropological discourse, Mana - Mana in fantasy

Read more here: » Mana: Encyclopedia II - Mana - Mana in Oceanic culture

Fantasy writer Larry Niven in his 1978 novella, The Magic Goes Away, describes "mana" as a natural resource which is used or channeled by wizards to cast magic spells. Mana is a limited resource in Niven's work, a fact which eventually will lead to the end of all magic in his antediluvian fantasy setting when all mana is depleted. Many subsequent fantasy settings (role-playing games in particular) has followed Niven in his use of mana. One of the first computer games to adopt mana as a term for magic points was th ...

See also:

Mana, Mana - Mana in Oceanic culture, Mana - Universal archetype, Mana - Similar cultural concepts, Mana - Mana in anthropological discourse, Mana - Mana in fantasy

Read more here: » Mana: Encyclopedia II - Mana - Mana in fantasy