Mana

Mana is the concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and inanimate objects.

In anthropological discourse, mana as a generalized concept has attained a significant amount of interest, often understood as a precursor to formal religion. It has commonly been interpreted as “the stuff of which magic is formed”, as well as the substance of which souls are made.

mana is a spiritual quality considered to have supernatural origin – a sacred impersonal force existing in the universe. Therefore to have mana is to have influence and authority, and efficacy – the power to perform in a given situation. This essential quality of mana is not limited to persons – peoples, governments, places and inanimate objects can possess mana.

In Hawaiian, mana loa means “great power”.

There are two ways to obtain mana: through birth and through warfare. People or objects that possess mana are accorded “respect”; because their possession of mana gives them “authority”, “power”, and “prestige”.

In Māori, a tribe that has mana whenua is considered to have demonstrated their authority over a given piece of land or territory. The word’s meaning is complex because mana is a basic foundation of the Polynesian worldview.

Life force eenergy.