According to
Melanesian
Melanesian is the adjectival form of Melanesia. It may refer to:
* Melanesians
* Melanesian mythology
* Melanesian languages In linguistics, Melanesian is an obsolete term referring to the Austronesian languages of Melanesia: that is, the Oceani ...
and
Polynesian mythology, ''mana'' is a supernatural force that permeates the universe.
Anyone or anything can have ''mana''. They believed it to be a cultivation or possession of energy and power, rather than being a source of power.
It is an intentional force.
In the 19th century, scholars compared ''mana'' to similar concepts such as the ''
orenda
Orenda is the Iroquois name for a certain spiritual energy inherent in people and their natural environment, environment. It is an "extraordinary invisible power believed by the Iroquois Native Americans to pervade in varying degrees in all ani ...
'' of the
Iroquois Indians and theorized that ''mana'' was a universal phenomenon that explained the
origin of religion
The evolutionary origin of religions and religious behavior is a field of study related to evolutionary psychology, the origin of language and mythology, and cross-cultural comparison of the anthropology of religion. Some subjects of interes ...
s.
''Mana'' is not universal to all of
Melanesia
Melanesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It extends from Indonesia's New Guinea in the west to Fiji in the east, and includes the Arafura Sea.
The region includes the four independent countries of Fiji, Va ...
.
Etymology
The
reconstructed Proto-Oceanic
Proto-Oceanic (abbr. ''POc'') is a proto-language that historical linguists since Otto Dempwolff have reconstructed as the hypothetical common ancestor of the Oceanic subgroup of the Austronesian language family. Proto-Oceanic is a descendant ...
word "mana" is thought to have referred to "powerful forces of nature such as thunder and storm winds" rather than supernatural power.
That meaning became detached as the Oceanic-speaking peoples
spread eastward and the word started to refer to unseen supernatural powers.
Polynesian culture
''Mana'' is a foundation of
Polynesian theology, a spiritual quality with a supernatural origin and a sacred, impersonal force. To have ''mana'' implies influence,
authority
In the fields of sociology and political science, authority is the legitimate power of a person or group over other people. In a civil state, ''authority'' is practiced in ways such a judicial branch or an executive branch of government.''The N ...
, and
efficacy
Efficacy is the ability to perform a task to a satisfactory or expected degree. The word comes from the same roots as ''effectiveness'', and it has often been used synonymously, although in pharmacology a pragmatic clinical trial#Efficacy versu ...
: the ability to perform in a given situation. The quality of ''mana'' is not limited to individuals; peoples, governments, places and inanimate objects may also possess ''mana'', and its possessors are accorded respect. Mana protects its protector and they depend on each other for growth both positive and negative. It depends on the person where he takes his mana.
Hawaiian and Tahitian culture
In
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
an and
Tahiti
Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austr ...
an mythology, ''mana'' is a
spiritual energy and healing power which can exist in places, objects and persons. Hawaiians believe that ''mana'' may be gained or lost by actions, and Hawaiians and Tahitians believe that ''mana'' is both external and internal. Sites on the
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kur ...
and in
French Polynesia
)Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze")
, anthem =
, song_type = Regional anthem
, song = " Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui"
, image_map = French Polynesia on the globe (French Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of Frenc ...
are believed to possess ''mana''—for example, the top rim of the
Haleakalā volcano on the island of
Maui
The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...
and the
Taputapuatea marae on the island of
Raiatea
Raiatea or Ra'iatea ( Tahitian: ''Ra‘iātea'') is the second largest of the Society Islands, after Tahiti, in French Polynesia. The island is widely regarded as the "centre" of the eastern islands in ancient Polynesia and it is likely that the ...
in the
Society Islands
The Society Islands (french: Îles de la Société, officially ''Archipel de la Société;'' ty, Tōtaiete mā) are an archipelago located in the South Pacific Ocean. Politically, they are part of French Polynesia, an overseas country of the F ...
.
Ancient Hawaiians also believed that the island of
Molokaʻi
Molokai , or Molokai (), is the fifth most populated of the eight major islands that make up the Hawaiian Islands archipelago in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is 38 by 10 miles (61 by 16 km) at its greatest length and width with a us ...
possessed ''mana'', compared with its neighboring islands. Before the unification of the
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Hawaiian Kingdom, or Kingdom of Hawaiʻi ( Hawaiian: ''Ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina''), was a sovereign state located in the Hawaiian Islands. The country was formed in 1795, when the warrior chief Kamehameha the Great, of the independent island ...
by
King Kamehameha I
Kamehameha I (; Kalani Paiea Wohi o Kaleikini Kealiikui Kamehameha o Iolani i Kaiwikapu kaui Ka Liholiho Kūnuiākea; – May 8 or 14, 1819), also known as Kamehameha the Great, was the conqueror and first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii. T ...
, battles were fought for possession of the island and its south-shore fish ponds which existed until the late 19th century.
A person may gain ''mana'' by ''
pono'' (right actions). In ancient Hawaii, there were two paths to ''mana'': sexual means or violence. In at least this tradition, nature is seen as dualistic, and everything has a counterpart. A balance between the gods
Kū
In Hawaiian religion, Kū is one of the four great gods. The other three are Kanaloa, Kāne, and Lono.
Some feathered god images or ''akua hulu manu'' are considered to represent Kū. Kū is worshiped under many names, including Kū-ka-ili-moku ( ...
and
Lono formed, through whom are the two paths to ''mana'' (''ʻimihaku'', or the search for ''mana''). Kū, the god of war and politics, offers ''mana'' through violence; this was how Kamehameha gained his ''mana''. Lono, the god of peace and fertility, offers ''mana'' through sexuality.
Prayers were believed to have mana, which was sent to the akua at the end when the priest usually said "amama ua noa," meaning "the prayer is now free or flown."
Māori (New Zealand) culture
Māori use
In
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
, a tribe with ''mana whenua'' must have demonstrated their authority over a territory. In
Maori mythology, there are two essential aspects of a person's ''mana'': ''mana
tangata'', authority derived from
whakapapa (
genealogy
Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kins ...
) and ''mana
huaanga'', defined as "authority derived from having a wealth of resources to
gift to others to bind them into reciprocal obligations".
Hemopereki Simon, from
Ngāti Tūwharetoa, asserts that there are many forms of ''mana'' in Maori beliefs.
The indigenous word reflects a non-Western view of reality, complicating translation. This is confirmed by the definition of ''mana'' provided by
Māori Marsden
Māori Marsden (10 August 1924 – 18 June 1993) was an author, an ordained Anglican minister and expert ''(tohunga)'' on Māori philosophy.
Biography
Marsden was born in Awanui, in the far north of New Zealand 10 August 1924. His parents wer ...
who states that ''mana'' is:
Spiritual power and authority as opposed to the purely psychic and natural force — ihi.
According to
Margaret Mutu
Margaret Shirley Mutu is a Ngāti Kahu leader, author and academic from Karikari Peninsula, Karikari, New Zealand and works at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. She is Māori people, Māori and her iwi (tribes) are Ngāti Kahu, Te Rarawa ...
, ''mana'' in its traditional sense means:
Power, authority, ownership, status, influence, dignity, respect derived from the atua.
In terms of leadership,
Ngāti Kahungunu
Ngāti Kahungunu is a Māori iwi located along the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The iwi is traditionally centred in the Hawke's Bay and Wairārapa regions.
The tribe is organised into six geographical and administrative di ...
legal scholar Dr. Carwyn Jones comments: "Mana is the central concept that underlies Māori leadership and accountability." He also considers ''mana'' as a fundamental aspect of the
constitutional traditions of Māori society.
According to the
New Zealand Ministry of Justice:
General English usage
In contemporary
New Zealand English
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
, the word "mana" refers to a person or organization of people of great personal prestige and character. The increased use of the term ''mana'' in New Zealand society is the result of the politicization of Māori issues stemming from the
Māori Renaissance.
Academic study
![StateLibQld 1 116272 Southern Cross (ship)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/StateLibQld_1_116272_Southern_Cross_%28ship%29.jpg)
Missionary
Robert Henry Codrington
Robert Henry Codrington (15 September 1830, Wroughton, Wiltshire – 11 September 1922)Davidson, Allan K. "The Legacy of Robert Henry Codrington." ''International Bulletin of Missionary Research.'' Oct 2003, Vol. 27 Issue 4, p. 171-176full tex ...
traveled widely in
Melanesia
Melanesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It extends from Indonesia's New Guinea in the west to Fiji in the east, and includes the Arafura Sea.
The region includes the four independent countries of Fiji, Va ...
, publishing several studies of its language and culture. His 1891 book ''The Melanesians: Studies in their Anthropology and Folk-Lore'' contains the first detailed description of ''mana'' in English.
Codrington defines it as "a force altogether distinct from physical power, which acts in all kinds of ways for good and evil, and which it is of the greatest advantage to possess or control".
His era had already defined
animism
Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, Soul, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct Spirituality, spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—Animal, animals, Plant, plants, Ro ...
, the concept that the energy (or life) in an object derives from a spiritual component.
Georg Ernst Stahl's 18th-century animism was adopted by
Edward Burnett Tylor, the founder of
cultural anthropology
Cultural anthropology is a branch of anthropology focused on the study of cultural variation among humans. It is in contrast to social anthropology, which perceives cultural variation as a subset of a posited anthropological constant. The portma ...
, who presented his initial ideas about the history of religion in his 1865 ''Researches into the Early History of Mankind''
and developed them in volumes one (1871) and two (1874) of ''Primitive Culture''.
Tylor's cultural evolution
In Tylor's
cultural anthropology
Cultural anthropology is a branch of anthropology focused on the study of cultural variation among humans. It is in contrast to social anthropology, which perceives cultural variation as a subset of a posited anthropological constant. The portma ...
, other
primates
Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians (monkeys and apes, the latter including huma ...
did not appear to possess culture.
[ The argument that primates and other high mammals have some culture, as defined by the practical knowledge taught by parents who learned it from their parents, does not substantially affect the argument, since humanity's characteristically complex learned behaviour is unique.]
Tylor did not try to find evidence of a non-cultural human state because he considered it unreachable, "a condition not far removed from that of the lower animals" and "savage life as in some sort representing an early known state."
He described such a hypothetical state as "the human savage naked in both mind and body, and destitute of laws, or arts, or ideas, and almost of language".
According to Tylor, speculation about an acultural state is impossible. Using the method of
comparative culture, similar to
comparative anatomy
Comparative anatomy is the study of similarities and differences in the anatomy of different species. It is closely related to evolutionary biology and phylogeny (the evolution of species).
The science began in the classical era, continuing in t ...
and the
comparative method of historical linguistics and following
John Lubbock, he drew up a dual classification of cultural traits (
meme
A meme ( ) is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural i ...
s and
memeplex
Much of the study of memes focuses on groups of memes called meme complexes, or memeplexes. Like the gene complexes found in biology, memeplexes are groups of memes that are often found present in the same individual. Applying the theory of Univ ...
es). His categories were "savage" and "civilised". Tylor wrote, "From an ideal point of view, civilization may be looked upon as the general improvement of mankind by higher organization of the individual and of society ... "
and identified his model with the "progression-theory of civilization".
Evolution of religion
Tylor cited a "minimum definition" of religion as "the belief in Spiritual Beings".
Noting that no savage societies lack religion and that the initial state of a religious man is beyond reach, he enumerated two stages in the evolution of religion: a simple belief in individual
animae
Gum anima, or anima, in pharmacy, is a kind of gum or resin, of which there are two kinds, western and eastern. The first flows from an incision in a tree around Central America, called '' Courbati''; it is transparent, and of a color similar to f ...
(or Doctrine of Souls) and the elaboration of
dogma
Dogma is a belief or set of beliefs that is accepted by the members of a group without being questioned or doubted. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Islam ...
. The dogmas are systems of higher spirits commanding phases of nature. In volume two of ''Primitive Culture'', Tylor called this stage the Doctrine of Spirits.
He used the word "animism" in two different senses.
The first is religion itself: a belief in the spiritual as an effective energy, shared by every specific religion. In his progression theory, an undogmatic version preceded rational theological systems. Animism is the simple
Theory of the Soul
A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may be s ...
, which
comparative religion
Comparative religion is the branch of the study of religions with the systematic comparison of the doctrines and practices, themes and impacts (including migration) of the world's religions. In general the comparative study of religion yie ...
attempts to reconstruct.
Tylor's work predated Codrington's, and he was unfamiliar with the latter. The concept of ''mana'' occasioned a revision of Tylor's view of the evolution of religion. The first anthropologist to formulate a revision (which he called "pre-animistic religion") was
Robert Ranulph Marett
Robert Ranulph Marett (13 June 1866 – 18 February 1943) was a British ethnology, ethnologist and a proponent of the British Evolutionary School of cultural anthropology. Founded by Marett's older colleague, Edward Burnett Tylor, it asserte ...
, in a series of papers collected and published as ''Threshold of Religion''. In its preface he takes credit for the adjective "
pre-animistic" but not the noun "
pre-animism", although he does not attribute it.
According to Marett, "Animism will not suffice as a minimum definition of religion." Tylor had used the term "
natural religion",
consistent with Georg Ernst Stahl's concept of a natural spiritual energy. The soul of an animal, for example, is its vital principle. Marett wrote that "one must dig deeper" to find the "roots of religion".
Pre-animism
Describing pre-animism, Marett cited the Melanesian ''mana'' (primarily with Codrington's work): "When the science of Comparative Religion employs a native expression such as mana, it is obliged to disregard to some extent its original or local meaning. Science, then, may adopt mana as a general category ... ".
In Melanesia the ''
animae
Gum anima, or anima, in pharmacy, is a kind of gum or resin, of which there are two kinds, western and eastern. The first flows from an incision in a tree around Central America, called '' Courbati''; it is transparent, and of a color similar to f ...
'' are the souls of living men, the ghosts of deceased men, and spirits "of ghost-like appearance" or imitating living people. Spirits can inhabit other objects, such as animals or stones.
The most significant property of ''mana'' is that it is distinct from, and exists independently of, its source. ''Animae'' act only through ''mana''. It is impersonal, undistinguished, and (like energy) transmissible between objects, which can have more or less of it. ''Mana'' is perceptible, appearing as a "Power of awfulness" (in the sense of awe or wonder).
Objects possessing it impress an observer with "respect, veneration, propitiation, service" emanating from the ''mana's'' power. Marett lists a number of objects habitually possessing ''mana'': "startling manifestations of nature", "curious stones", animals, "human remains", blood,
thunderstorms, eclipses, eruptions, glaciers, and the sound of a
bullroarer.
If ''mana'' is a distinct power, it may be treated distinctly. Marett distinguishes
spells
Spell(s) or The Spell(s) may refer to:
Processes
* Spell (paranormal), an incantation
* Spell (ritual), a magical ritual
* Spelling, the writing of words
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''The Spell'' (1977 film), an American ...
, which treat ''mana'' quasi-objectively, and
prayer
Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified a ...
s (which address the ''anima''). An ''anima'' may have departed, leaving ''mana'' in the form of a spell which can be addressed by
magic
Magic or Magick most commonly refers to:
* Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces
* Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic
* Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...
. Although Marett postulates
an earlier pre-animistic phase, a "rudimentary religion" or "magico-religious" phase in which the ''mana'' figures without ''animae'', "no island of pure 'pre-animism' is to be found."
Like Tylor, he theorizes a thread of commonality between animism and pre-animism identified with the
supernatural
Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
—the "mysterious", as opposed to the reasonable.
Criticism
In 1936,
Ian Hogbin criticised the universality of Marett's pre-animism: "Mana is by no means universal and, consequently, to adopt it as a basis on which to build up a general theory of primitive religion is not only erroneous but indeed fallacious".
However, Marett intended the concept as an
abstraction.
Spells, for example, may be found "from Central Australia to Scotland."
Early 20th-century scholars also saw ''mana'' as a universal concept, found in all human cultures and expressing fundamental human awareness of a sacred life energy. In his 1904 essay, "Outline of a General Theory of Magic",
Marcel Mauss
Marcel Mauss (; 10 May 1872 – 10 February 1950) was a French sociologist and anthropologist known as the "father of French ethnology". The nephew of Émile Durkheim, Mauss, in his academic work, crossed the boundaries between sociology and a ...
drew on the writings of Codrington and others to paint a picture of ''mana'' as "power ''
par excellence'', the genuine effectiveness of things which corroborates their practical actions without annihilating them".
Mauss pointed out the similarity of ''mana'' to the
Iroquois
The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...
orenda
Orenda is the Iroquois name for a certain spiritual energy inherent in people and their natural environment, environment. It is an "extraordinary invisible power believed by the Iroquois Native Americans to pervade in varying degrees in all ani ...
and the
Algonquian manitou
Manitou (), akin to the Iroquois ''orenda'', is the spiritual and fundamental life force among Algonquian groups in the Native American theology. It is omnipresent and manifests everywhere: organisms, the environment, events, etc. ''Aasha ...
, convinced of the "universality of the institution";
"a concept, encompassing the idea of magical power, was once found everywhere".
Mauss and his collaborator,
Henri Hubert, were criticised for this position when their 1904 ''Outline of a General Theory of Magic'' was published. "No one questioned the existence of the notion of mana", wrote Mauss's biographer
Marcel Fournier
Marcel may refer to:
People
* Marcel (given name), people with the given name Marcel
* Marcel (footballer, born August 1981), Marcel Silva Andrade, Brazilian midfielder
* Marcel (footballer, born November 1981), Marcel Augusto Ortolan, Brazilian ...
, "but Hubert and Mauss were criticized for giving it a universal dimension".
Criticism of ''mana'' as an archetype of life energy increased. According to
Mircea Eliade
Mircea Eliade (; – April 22, 1986) was a Romanians, Romanian History of religion, historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, and professor at the University of Chicago. He was a leading interpreter of religious experience, who establ ...
, the idea of ''mana'' is not universal; in places where it is believed, not everyone has it, and "even among the varying formulae (''mana'', ''wakan'', ''orenda'', etc.) there are, if not glaring differences, certainly nuances not sufficiently observed in the early studies".
"With regard to these theories founded upon the primordial and universal character of ''mana'', we must say without delay that they have been invalidated by later research".
Hoolbrad argued in a paper included in the seminal volume “Thinking Through Things: Theorising Artefacts Ethnographically”, that the concept of mana highlights a significant theoretical assumption in
Anthropology
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of behavi ...
: that matter, and meaning are separate. A hotly debated issue, Hoolbrad suggests that mana provides motive to re-evaluate the division assumed between matter and meaning in social research. His work is part of the
ontological turn The ontological turn is an increased interest in ontology within a number of philosophical and academic disciplines during the early 2000s. The ontological turn in anthropology is not concerned with anthropological notions of culture, epistemology, ...
in Anthropology, a
paradigm
In science and philosophy, a paradigm () is a distinct set of concepts or thought patterns, including theories, research methods, postulates, and standards for what constitute legitimate contributions to a field.
Etymology
''Paradigm'' comes f ...
shift that aims to take seriously the
ontology
In metaphysics, ontology is the philosophical study of being, as well as related concepts such as existence, becoming, and reality.
Ontology addresses questions like how entities are grouped into categories and which of these entities exis ...
of other cultures
[Heywood, P. (2017) Ontological Turn, The in The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Anthropology, Available at: https://www.anthroencyclopedia.com/entry/ontological-turn. (Accessed: 7/11/2021)]
See also
* ''
Barakah
In Islam, ''Barakah'' or ''Baraka'' ( ar, بركة "blessing") is a blessing power, a kind of continuity of spiritual presence and revelation that begins with God and flows through that and those closest to God.
Baraka can be found within physic ...
''
* ''
Chakra
Chakras (, ; sa , text=चक्र , translit=cakra , translit-std=IAST , lit=wheel, circle; pi, cakka) are various focal points used in a variety of ancient meditation practices, collectively denominated as Tantra, or the esoteric or ...
''
*
Charm
Charm may refer to:
Social science
* Charisma, a person or thing's pronounced ability to attract others
* Superficial charm, flattery, telling people what they want to hear
Science and technology
* Charm quark, a type of elementary particle
* Ch ...
* ''
Guṇa
( sa, गुण) is a concept in Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism, which can be translated as "quality, peculiarity, attribute, property".[Kami
are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, or beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the sp ...](_b ...<br></span></div>''
* <div class=)
in
Shinto
Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...
*
Magic
Magic or Magick most commonly refers to:
* Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces
* Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic
* Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...
*
Mana (Mandaeism)
* ''
Manas
Manas may refer to:
Philosophy and mythology
*Manas, the Pali and Sanskrit term for "mind"; see
** Manas (early Buddhism)
** Manas-vijnana, one of the eight consciousnesses taught in Yogacara Buddhism
*''Ramcharitmanas'', a retelling of the Ramay ...
'' in early Buddhism
* ''
Manna
Manna ( he, מָן, mān, ; ar, اَلْمَنُّ; sometimes or archaically spelled mana) is, according to the Bible, an edible substance which God provided for the Israelites during their travels in the desert during the 40-year period follow ...
''
*
Mysticism
Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in u ...
*
Occult
The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism a ...
*
Philippine shamans
Filipino shamans, commonly known as (also ''Balian'' or , among many other names), were shamans of the various ethnic groups of the pre-colonial Philippine islands. These shamans specialized in communicating, appeasing, or harnessing the spi ...
or ''Babaylan''
* ''
Prana
In yoga, Indian medicine and Indian martial arts, prana ( sa2, प्राण, ; the Sanskrit word for breath, " life force", or "vital principle") permeates reality on all levels including inanimate objects. In Hindu literature, prāṇa is ...
''
* ''
Qi'' or ''Chi''
*
Quintessence
Quintessence, or fifth essence, may refer to:
Cosmology
* Aether (classical element), in medieval cosmology and science, the fifth element that fills the universe beyond the terrestrial sphere
* Quintessence (physics), a hypothetical form of da ...
or
Aether
*
Ritual
A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, b ...
*
Scientific skepticism
Scientific skepticism or rational skepticism (also spelled scepticism), sometimes referred to as skeptical inquiry, is a position in which one questions the veracity of claims lacking empirical evidence. In practice, the term most commonly refe ...
*
Spell
Spell(s) or The Spell(s) may refer to:
Processes
* Spell (paranormal), an incantation
* Spell (ritual), a magical ritual
* Spelling, the writing of words
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''The Spell'' (1977 film), an American t ...
*
Supernatural
Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
*
Taboo
A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...
*
Talisman
*
Wind Horse
The wind horse is a symbol of the human soul in the shamanistic tradition of East Asia and Central Asia. In Tibetan Buddhism, it was included as the pivotal element in the center of the four animals symbolizing the cardinal directions and a symbo ...
* ''
Yorishiro'' in Shinto
Notes
References
Further reading
* Keesing, Roger. 1984. "Rethinking mana". ''Journal of Anthropological Research'' 40:137–156.
* Lévi-Strauss, Claude; Baker, Felicity (translator). 1987. ''Introduction to the Work of Marcel Mauss''. .
* Mauss, Marcel. 1924. ''Essai sur le don''.
* Meylan, Nicolas, ''Mana: A History of a Western Category'', Leiden, Brill, 2017.
*
* van der Grijp, Paul. 2014. Manifestations of Mana: Power and Divine Inspiration in the Pacific. Berlin: LIT Verlag.
External links
Allen Varney: Mana in the Real Worldmana, Te Aka Māori–English, English–Māori Dictionary
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