Why is "Mana" in Your Video Games?

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If you play League of Legends, World of Warcraft, or Magic the Gathering, you've probably heard about "mana." It is the magical power used by sorcerers, magicians, mages, and wizards. But what is mana, and how did it enter video gaming culture? Special thanks to one of our patrons, Esteban, for suggesting the video title!
Bibliography:
Alex Golub, “The History of Mana,” The Appendix, April 2014: theappendix.net...
Jacques Waardenburg, Russell T. McCutcheon , "Classical Approaches to the Study of Religion: Aims, Methods, and Theories of Research. Introduction and Anthology,” (De Gruyter, 2017).
Juliette Blevins, "Some Comparative Notes on Proto-Oceanic mana: Inside and Outside the Austronesian Family,” Oceanic Linguistics, Vol. 47, No. 2 (Dec., 2008), 253-274.
Mana study by Office of Hawaiian Affairs: www.oha.org/mana
Matt Tomlinson, "New Mana: Transformations of a Classic Concept in Pacific Languages and Cultures,” (ANU Press, 2016).
Matt Tomlinson, “Retheorizing Mana: Bible Translation and Discourse of Loss in Fiji,” Oceania, Vol. 76, No. 2 (Jul., 2006), 173-185..
Matthew Tomlinson, “In God’s Image: The Metaculture of Fijian Christianity,” (University of California Press, 2009).
Wende Elizabeth Marshall, “Potent Mana: Lessons in Power and Healing,” (SUNY Press, 2011)

[@ReligionForBreakfast]

Since there appears to be confusion about this topic in the comments. The miraculous food in Exodus, "manna," has nothing to do with the history of "mana" in modern pop culture. Larry Niven, in a Skype interview on June 5, 2013, reported that he learned about the concept by reading a book on Melanesian religion (The Trumpet Shall Sound) while as an undergrad at Washburn University. The similarity with the Torah's "manna" is coincidental. Source: Matt Tomlinson (a scholar of religion in Oceania), "New Mana: Transformations of a Classic Concept in Pacific Languages and Cultures,” page 321.

[@peterk822]

Still, part of what may have hastened the adoption of Mana linguistically in medieval fantasy fiction (even if not Niven himself, just your point on MP=Mana) was the West's familiarity w/ the unrelated but homophonous Biblical Manna. Coincidentally, the meaning of Biblical Manna, "What Is it?", does fit well w/ a mysterious energy like Mana.

[@maxiomburrows2099]

and the general acceptance from Christian/Jewish/Muslim customers about miraculous sustenance from heaven gathered in the morning dew.

[@SidheKnight]

In Spanish, Biblical "manna" is written "mana" with just one 'n', so I thought the roleplaying concept came from the Bible.

[@TheCutePyro]

@@SidheKnight "Manna" and "mana" sound the same to me so I also thought that mana came from the Bible.

[@thBrilliantFool]

Politics is a religion, politicians are it's high priests, and voting is it's most sacred ritual.

[@nomanshigh3058]

Here in New Zealand we absolutely used Mana in daily conversation. You very much nailed the general meaning. We pronounce it a bit differently is all.

[@gulanhem9495]

In ur daily conversations in New Zealand when referencing mana, do you talk English or some kind of Maori language?

[@TheoEvian]

@@gulanhem9495 He might be talking Maori, the language is fairly broadly used and I know there are monolingual Maoris too. After all, the Maori language has fairly good protection from the NZ government.

[@pheadrus7621]

@@gulanhem9495 Mana is a Maori word that doesn't have a convenient English substitute so even when speaking in English of you want to reference that concept you just use the word "Mana". To translate the concept as it's used in New Zealand you could use the word "respect" or "worthy of respect" but neither really nails it. I'd use the word "mana" if I was talking about a politician or a religious leader who had great charisma and was highly respected. Then they'd be said to have 'mana'. Or if such a person was being disrespected I'd say that such words or actions were an insult to their "mana".

[@shilohartisan]

@@pheadrus7621 I'm very interested to know if I should be pronouncing it "MAW-nuh" or "MAN-nuh" in American English. Should I always say "Maw-nuh" or should one pronounce it the same way they pronounce "happy ("HAP-ee" vs "HAWP-ee") ?

[@Fr4nga]

@@shilohartisan Maa-nah is the correct pronunciation. It uses a longer 'a' as in 'father'. Man-nah sounds so American it's cringe xD

[@TonyPstunts]

In Hawai’i our understanding of mana is that it’s the energy that flows through all things. Not to be confused with “Hā”. It’s active and inert. All things have mana, and with mana all things can be done. A person with powerful mana is held in higher regard. We, kanaka maoli and tangata maori, share very same beliefs as we are sibling societies.

[@Optimegatrongodzilla]

It is called many things, including, but not limited to, life force energy, chi, ki, qi, mana, magic, Force energy(in the 'Star Wars' franchise), elan vital, and prana.

[@oscarangga1152]

So can you do electrokinesis to strike other people? U know I have been train electrokinesis n success to strike other people

[@emmettdonkeydoodle6230]

@@Optimegatrongodzilla As he pointed out in the video, taking a concept imbedded in a specific cultural and generalizing it onto separate cultures is misguided and potentially dangerous. The force in Star Wars is based on the Tao and much of Star Wars Jedi lore takes influence on the channeling of Tao through motion (often martial arts). George Lukas was friends with a theologian that studied Taoism and he was influenced through their talks.

[@Optimegatrongodzilla]

@@emmettdonkeydoodle6230 Okay, but they're all essentially talking about the same concept: an energy field that flows through the universe and all things in it, that can be tapped into.

[@emmettdonkeydoodle6230]

@@Optimegatrongodzilla it sounds similar to the concepts we are familiar with from our perspective, but that does not make it the same (usually these things turn out quite different). We are always bringing our cultural perspective with us when we learn about other people and places. This means we can never understand another culture in the same way someone born and raised in that culture does and vice versa. Even if it sounds familiar (and heck, even if it is familiar) it’s best to avoid lumping them together because those differences matter. It’s an easy trap to fall into and I often do it myself, which is why I wanted to emphasize that word of caution.

[@krotenschemel8558]

And here was me thinking it was related to the Manna story in the Old Testament. (The bread from heaven in the desert). Well, thanks for clearing that up.

[@happytofu5]

I thought that as well

[@Xashe]

Me too

[@emilianobayless2416]

same

[@Wallach_a]

Yes, manna from heaven. In Hebrew pronounced “mun”

[@Salsmachev]

Yeah. Although I kinda have to think that influenced some of these creators. And I'm reminded of Abrahamic Mana in the videogames that use food as a healing mechanic. "Moses gave ye bread in the desert and ye did not die, but I am the bread that leads unto hit points eternal!" (John on Jesus getting the cooking skillcape in Runescape)

[@commieRob]

From 'aether' in physics to 'mana' in anthropology, nothing beats rash scientists for creating cool fantasy concepts.

[@MarkWhippy]

The word taboo also comes from the austronesian languages. It's a westernised version of the word tapu, which means sacred or forbidden. The p in some Polynesian languages is pronounced as b.

[@QvodInferivs]

Yes spot on In New Zealand Maori would say this land is Tapu or that person is tapu meaning cursed or bad energy.

[@TonyPstunts]

In olelo Hawai’i it’s pronounced kapu. Same word and concept just with a subtle phonetic deviation.

[@TonyPstunts]

@@QvodInferivs “cursed”? Interesting.

[@datulel101]

Interesting. In Tagalog (Austronesian, Filipino Language), "Mana" means inheritance. In Old Tagalog "Manapa" means something like "In truth" or "Indeed." It's sometimes shortened to "Mana" or "Mana'y."

[@paulsinon2716]

Pinoy ako pero diko pa to alam. Hehe. Salamat!

[@davidgumazon]

Na Manang Babaero (aka ex-girlfriends' rage fuel) Mana NANGGAL (aka ito gusto maging girlfriend mo) Mana NAKOP (aka yung bahay mo sinakop ng mga lasinggero) Mana PAK (aka at least one time kang nasapak ng kahit sino)

[@candypaint8887]

@@davidgumazon pass tayu dyan sir

[@gravel9270]

​​@@paulsinon2716 Alam kong two years nang late itong reply ko sayo pero ito na rin...... Mana as in "Mana ka sa nanay mo, pareho kayo ng ilong".

[@samjoal10]

The words 'magic' and 'machine' both have the same PIE root, which basically means ability or power.

[@johnsherfey3675]

I wonder what other languages have an ma word for magic/power?

[@samjoal10]

@@johnsherfey3675 This entry on the online etymological dictionary should has a few of them. www.etymonline.com/word/*magh-

[@clavicleofcernunnos]

@@samjoal10 Etymonline is a true treasure chest on the internet. I consult it often when I'm thinking about the origins or similarities of words.

[@TheoEvian]

This explains fairly well the religionist mana fascination that he mentioned, it could seem that the fascination with potency is an universal thing.

[@PaladinUltra]

Growing up in Hawaii, we were taught in our public school system that Mana meant power and spirituality in the Hawaiian language. I don't speak it myself, so I wouldn't be able to tell you if this is 100% certain - but that's what I always viewed Mana as in pop culture. Interesting to see how the other austronesian cultures used the word, great video! Edit: Ha! I just got to the part in the video where you talk about this

[@askyoauntie]

in filipino/tagalog language which is one of the biggest and prosperous austronesian language the concept of the word *mana* is the things that you can inherit from someone it can be *material related,* *money* or *a property* even the idea of inheriting your *parents physical feature* or some of their *unique characteristics* and *specific behaviour.* so it is a word that is fairly unexplainable as it has a different meaning in other austronesian languages and culture, but nevertheless it’s so fascinating for a word to be that deep and spiritual at the same time.

[@dragonmaster613]

In Dungeons & Dragons, there is a Setting called Dark Sun where Wizards used up all the Magick of the land causing it to become barren.

[@lolly9804]

I don't know what it is, but I never have enough of it in diablo...

[@andrefilipe9042]

Not enough Mana.

[@jonpaulyc-eng474]

I've really appreciated this video! My mum was a chaplain in the New Zealand Navy, and I remember the government would contract her to do community exorcisms on the merit of "her spirit having more mana" over the dead. I even remember some of the natives using "mana" as a term to describe Elija's sorcery battle with the Priests of Baal. Thanks to growing up around mana and the concept of ritual kapu/tapu (taboo) always around me, I was always fascinated with Austronesian religious philosophy!

[@PKAmedia]

As someone who has lived and worked in a few of the Pacific Islands for a bit, and as someone who is kinda a fantasy nerd, never thought I would just randomly stumble across a KZbin video that connecting them up like that. Really great respectful analysis of just a really fun idea for a video, all in under 10 minutes. Seriously up there with the best 10 minutes spent on KZbin. Cheers! Edit: Oh and just want to emphasises respectful, as dear god do Pacific Islanders do so often get horribly represented in the media. Particularly about anything surrounding religion and traditional beliefs. Ugh.

[@Nosirrbro]

1:10 That’s quite interesting to me, because the game that uses mana which I am most intimately familiar with is eu4, a grand strategy game that uses something players call mana (in the form of ‘monarch points’) by that definition exactly.

[@anthonynorman7545]

Probably because in other games mp is often short for mana points.

[@kootmcgoot8677]

The magic words are please and thank you. Use your mannas 😌

[@Salsmachev]

I find that Hey would you pass me the salt abracadabra works pretty well tbh

[@ariban]

You win a cookie! This is gold! Hahahahha....

[@TimothyFolkema]

Here in Aotearoa, we don't translate "mana". We just use is as a loan word into English. There's plenty of other loan words as well. It usually refers to someone's personal pride, energy, strength, clout, cultural influence, etc. Even I find it hard to translate here and find the description given by myself to be inadequate. I'm 7th Generation tau iwi/paakeha. I'm not maaori. I could probably hook you up with some maaori tohunga (priestsp/priestesses) if you wanted to do an episode on maaori mythology, magick and religion...

[@Zlypi]

Austin Powers: "Oh no. I lost my mojo." is closer to the real intent of mana.

[@sergeigen1]

how stella got her groove back

[@jonathanselu8297]

Just needed to pop in and say that in Oceanic/Austronesian languages, mana is pronounced [MAR-nar]. In Oceanic cultures, it's important to note that early anthropologists often got the translation and understanding of the concept of mana wrong. They tended to look at it through and individualist worldview, whereas Oceanic people's come from collectivist cultures. This has a significant impact on the way that our cultures play out. There is MUCH more I can say but I'll leave it there from now. I do, however, really enjoy the content you make @religionforbreakfast

[@thomaslecomte1570]

Jonathan Selu I’m very interested in what you mention in your second paragraph. Do you have any source I could read about that?

[@anthonynorman7545]

Say more please

[@Imnoturpapi]

exactly!

[@moondust2365]

[MAR-na]? Really? In my language it's more like /MA-'na/. Also, is that 'R' a British /ː/ or the usual /r/ or /ɾ/? If it's the British r, then I'd understand, but if not, what language are you referencing? It'd be interesting to find out how other austronesian languages say the word compared to the two I speak. In both of them, the word means "inheritance".

[@jonathanselu8297]

@@moondust2365 I live in Aotearoa (New Zealand) so I always forget those distinctions between rolled and flipped R's. So yes, it is a Queen's English R I'm referring to here. Also, please note I was not writing that using IPA (mostly because that slipped my mind completely). I'm intrigued, which Austronesian languages do you speak?

[@ericbosken3114]

Here in Indonesia, "mana" has a far more mundane use... It simply means a root for questions such as where ("dimana") or how ("gimana")

[@abdulhakim4639]

Dimana mananya, gimana kok gak ada mananya? Mana mana-mana itu? Omg 😂.

[@dentangaji6161]

Mana ada

[@sophroniel]

So I'm a New Zealander, and "mana" is pronounced closer to "mun-uh". It's a term for ego, spiritual power, and someone's kudos, pride/honour and indescribable energy. Compare to "utu" (revenge) and "maniheko"/"whakapoke" (unclean/desecration) and the idea of "wairua" which is, simplified, to the concept of mana what a feeling is to the concept of spirit or esteem or what spirit is in contrast to energy. Not just people can have these things, and I am really only scratching the surface. It is very important here.

[@EVOLUTIONINCARNATE]

Yeah Vs Every Hawaiian I’ve talked to pronounces it “mah-nah” which makes sense from a linguistic standpoint The a is just pronounced a liiitle different And yeah Hawaii has it similar ish You could gain someone’s mana by killing/or eating them Which tbh my ancestors where cool for that and it makes a lot of sense

[@YTho-ev1ej]

When I was a kid in New Zealand, I was told that the Maori would rip out the heart of their enemies and eat it are for Mana, or spiritual power. Not sure if the word mana is correct though.

[@Jessi-44]

Yeah that’s not correct at all lol. 😅

[@artesiningart4961]

In the Filipino national language, in the Tagalog regional language where the Filipino national language is based, founded, or started from, and in most if not all other Austronesian languages in and of the Philippines, "mana" means like "inheritance or legacy" of whatever form, value, magnitude, or kind that's being passed on or down, transferred on or down, shared on or down, given on or down, and the like, to others, most especially to the succeeding or next, younger, and or future generation/s, and most commonly, nowadays, from human to human. The root or base word "mana" in Filipino and in Tagalog, at least, is found and used in these few other words such as these, among others: Tagapagmana = heir/heiress, successor Pamana = legacy, heritage

[@p.bamygdala2139]

Hi Andrew: - How about discussing the Assention of Isaiah? - More Nag Hammadi is always a treat!

[@derstoffausdemderjoghurtis]

gnosticriseup?^^

[@molochi]

There was a popular pen and paper RPG named Arduin that was very commonly used to suppliment Dungeons and Dragons in the late 70s though the mid 80s. It inserted Mana (pts based) spell casting for D&Ds "Vancian" spell casting system. I think it was the first game to use the term Mana that way and pretty much everyone who played D&D/AD&D (and then went on to make computer games) was familiar with it. Hargrave, the author, did pull the idea from Niven's books.

[@matthewbittenbender9191]

And here I thought it was some reference to “manna from heaven“ in the Judeo Christian tradition because it was used so ubiquitously. I know that meeting is meant to be bread but perhaps it had a more esoteric meaning, perhaps that God’s people were sent and consuming knowledge. It’s good to see the oceanic people contributing to world culture even if it is for entertainment.

[@alttiakujarvi]

This is a very interesting and informative. Thank you! Diccerning fantasy geeks have known about this more original understanding of 'mana' and even some games have (already decades ago) included 'mana' not as a consumable resource, but as a stat for the characters magical prowess. ADOM is the first one that comes to mind. In Finnish we have a very similar concept: "väki". It describes the prowess of the individual: both physical and... 'magical'. The word is still used in combination with the word strong ("väkivahva") to mean a person that is *really* strong or as a derived adjective ("väkevä") to describe a strong drink or a taste or smells. The most common contemporary usage is actually to mean 'people' or 'population', ("väki", "väestö") as the old idiom "the whole strength of the village" used to mean "all the people of the village". But we also still use it in christian contexts in very much the same way this video described how many oceanic christians are still using "mana". Anything that is capable of... inciting faith in a person, be it a sermon, a song, a book or the life or testimony of an other person, they can all be described as being "väkevä". A word which not that many centruries ago used to describe a powerfull magian.

[@Xashe]

Kia ora, thanks for this very informative video. Like someone else mentioned I thought the gaming term had closer relations to the biblical "manna". I'm Māori from New Zealand and like you said mana is a form of authority but it has such a wide scope of meanings that it's often not an easy one to explain. See the link for details: maoridictionary.co.nz/search?idiom=&phrase=&proverb=&loan=&histLoanWords=&keywords=mana Mana to us is derived from our genealogical lines, which is established at birth, but it can also be increased or diminished over time (but never extinguished) depending on how one goes about their lives. If a term in our language would be chosen as a word closely aligned to mana that would be "mauri" in my eyes. Mauri is the essence of life that resides in all living things. It is a force that can be infused within objects, often by performing ceremonies/rituals. This is often confirmed, much like the Fijian example with affirming/confirming phrases, except we do not use the word mana. For example: Haumi e, Hui e, Tāiki e (Join and bind together, it is confirmed - not a direct translation).

[@michaelpudney9368]

Kia ora Xashe, love your explanation and thank you for posting the link below I was just about to do the same 😊, Maori dictionary is such a useful tool, I've been using it allot lately to learn te reo in my free time and during studying, it's helped me allot ❤.

[@urbnctrl]

In Maluku, Mana today is translated roughly as the force of Spirit - as in; "he has spirit!" or "Spirited performance!" When we look deeper however, we see in mythology that it is ascribed to the spiritual power that can be yielded and man-ifested from the source, depending on the physical ability of the carrier.

[@mythosandlogos]

Well done! Can you do Chi next?

[@originaluddite]

Being a role-player rather than a computer gamer, I was always puzzled by 'mana' and wondered what the matter was with saying 'magic'. I now think that, as much as practical, words of particular origins resonate with some settings better than others. My fantasy game world is analogous to the western part of Eurasia and, as such, I do not call magically animated corpses 'zombies' because that is a recent borrowing from the Caribbean.

[@nomadicmonkey3186]

Before I started digging into Mythological studies and stuff I'd use to think Mana and Manna are somehow related to each other.

[@ReligionForBreakfast]

No relation as far as I can tell. I almost included a section distinguishing the two, but decided against it.

[@Agaettis]

Yes I thought this too! I thought it was strange for Japanese games to have something so specific from the bible

[@nomadicmonkey3186]

​@@ReligionForBreakfast It's kinda funny I thought that way because I don't have any Judeo-Christian background nor am I from a country where any of the Abrahamic religions are widely practiced today.

[@Pingwn]

Wasn't it spelled as ma-n in the original Hebrew?

[@raulendymion9917]

@@ReligionForBreakfast I see why I think, is it because you wanted to focus on the Oceanic cultures and less so on the Western points of view? "Oceanic" and "Western" I'm sure aren't accurate but it's the best I got to describe what I mean. On a related note, I also thought "Mana" and "Manna" were the same, probably because I've been influenced from video games. I think that our understanding of Mana is influenced from video games and when God gave Mana out in the book of Exodus.

[@palamecianrider7385]

In my language (Filipino) we use that for the word inheritance. Though it could be a watered down version as we were colonized by Spanish earlier than others.

[@LaSpataCaroli]

Here in Philippines (cebu, Idk about the other dialects) say mana as in "finished" or "it is finished"

[@stevengardiner507]

Very minor physics nitpick: A unit of MP is the magical equivalent of a kilowatt hour, not a kilowatt. The latter measures the rate of energy consumption (i.e., power), while the former measures energy. Otherwise, great video. I always wondered about this.

[@blookarakal4417]

Steven Gardiner, yeah, some people say kW when they really mean kWh

[@bushit123456]

Could you make a video about cargo cults?

[@zachariahpoltergeist4516]

Nivenyrral's Disk doesn't just nullify things- it obliterates them!

[@Orlymusicboy]

It kind of reminds me of the Philosophy Tube video on Witchcraft and his assertion that Harry Potter and its ilk redefine magic to fit better into capitalist thinking as a skill or product that can be commodified, as opposed to older understandings that functioned in fundamentally different ways.

[@IAmCainne]

In the Philippines, we have that word also but in many meaning. For example: • In Cebuano language, it means "...it is finished!" • In Major Visayas, it is derived as a form of respect to an elderly woman. • In majority of the Philippine language specially in Ancient languages and almost every northern languages, the word means "inherit". It could make the word "pamana" means "inheritance", not just for a money or things but even for traits, like someone who inherited an attitude or some "special ability". • But the word "pamana" in ilonggos means "to get a husband". From the word "Pam Bana" Because "bana" means "Husband", some says Husbands/Men is the imagery of Power and Strength before. • In Tagalog, it is an Noun that means "to pass from an ascendance".

[@snowissj]

Would you do an episode on the Chinese concept of Qi or chi?

[@ianbirchfield5124]

should we start calling it "magicka" like in the elder scrolls?

[@jonunciate7018]

I play a lot of magic the gathering. The Nev's disc fact blew my mind. I'll be repeating that one at games where it shows up.

[@isaakvandaalen3899]

I'm from NZ. Mana is loose and difficult to define. In its purest form, it is simply power. Mana is deeply spiritual, and is kind of like a connection you have with the land, people, and world around you. Yes, a chieftan will have mana, in the form of respect and authority from and over their tribe. A warrior has mana, through their dedication and bravery in battle, and through the conquests they have achieved. A priest has mana, through their devotion and faithfulness to an ideal or scripture. An elder has mana, through their wisdom and respect they command. Really, mana can be found in any way we command the world around us. Those with high mana might be those entrusted to undertake a perilous mission, or consulted for sage advice, or looked to in a time of need. Mana also exists, in fact I would say primarily exists, within nature. The world around us is also rich in power, and shapes the people as much if not more than the people shape it. Respect for the land is very important in Maori culture. The land is almost like a spiritual mother, which I believe is reflected in Maori mythology, where Papatuanuku is the "Goddess of the Earth" or perhaps better translated as the "Earth Mother". In this way, it seems that mana could be interpreted to have power over the world in the same way it does over people, thus leading to the western interpretation which makes it seem more like straight up magic. That connection is definitely there, but in Maori and other pacific cultures, it is much more spiritual and personal than the mana you're probably used to seeing in videogames.

[@rmt3589]

What's interesting, the game I'm designing has Mana as an umbrella term for several stores of energy a character can have. Each works different, but can be inefficiently interchanged. That surprisingly matches how history has used the term, as a catch all for magic.

[@SoRaw514]

How? You created that game and coined the term

[@rmt3589]

@@SoRaw514 Can you elaborate on your question? It's not making sense to me.

[@JCdental]

Mana is basically "the cut of your jib"; "hutspa" or if your a Yankee "starch"

[@charlieturk8141]

Thank you for this video! At first I was confused. I didn't realize that manna in the bible was spelled with a double n, and that mana that I am more used to seeing spelled with a single n is something totally different.

[@JadranDan]

I love this channel!!! Thank you for sharing all of this.

[@BennyEternET]

How curious, I thought it was linked to the Zoroastrian Amesha Spenta Vohu Manah "the good Mind", since it's linked to Magic (comes from Magi in Persian), and in video games it has become the "power of the mind" back :p

[@jacobscrackers98]

'Manah' is probably related to the sanskrit 'manas' meaning mind.

[@seanwelch71]

This pop culture essay showing Niven's influence is excellent. Semantic memes are the reason that word origins are slippery.

[@OrangeSunnSet]

Like some others in the comments here i always confused mana with manna. So i always made up a connetion with the manna of the old testament with the power to perform magical acts in fantasy contexts. Thanks to your video now many things are clearer.

[@evelynstarshine8561]

Mana had already been popularised in the english language through Gov. Grey's book Polynesian Mythology (which got wildly popular in the UK and started appearing in english texts) and in NZ that is where we have been understood the origin of it's european appropriation and definition. Today in NZ academia it is often used for identity, self, empowerment but really it doesn't have an english translation which is why we use it even in NZenglish. Looking at Indigenous studies or education research papers from NZ is probably a better source on understanding mana than anthropology or religious studies, and this is Māori academics writing about how to support, affirm and uphold children's mana/describing their own culture, not British dude's writing about 'the natives'.

[@NoahSteckley]

Brings some light to what Carl Jung meant by the “mana personality,” brought about through integration of the Anima.

[@daddyleon]

0:36 oh...I always thought it was from that "magical food" in the Exodus tales. Like, want to cast a spell: you need some magical calories..uh...Biblical reference: Mana! Thank you for enriching my world *+ReligionForBreakfast*

[@ELS-tone]

I always assumed it was from ‘stamina’-> mina-> mana

[@davidgumazon]

Same thought as me

[@scottygordon3280]

And here I was thinking mana was just the manna from the Book of Exodus...

[@paradigmcatalyst5312]

Could you make a video on Archon and Aeons? I noticed you referenced them in another video, but I could find another one on them.

[@anthonywritesfantasy]

I love all your video game videos! I'm late, but man am I here!

[@jaydax9009]

All these sophisticated meanings of mana in various Austronesian languages and the meaning of Mana in my native language Malay (also an Austronesian language) is..... "where".

[@akalaSHO]

I'm ethnically Micronesian and grew up in Hawai'i and have played RPGs my whole life and idk why I never made this connection lol. Despite speaking an Austronesian language, it never clicked that someone might take inspiration from our languages.

[@delusionnnnn]

Dungeon Master's most popular or second-most popular platform success was almost certainly the Amiga, which was not mentioned. Just making a note. I don't know if it sold more than the Atari ST, but I believe PC was third place due to where the platforms were positioned at the time for home users. I could be wrong.

[@colubrinedeucecreative]

Interesting, thanks! Currently playing black desert online and actually was looking up the kind that supposedly fell from heaven, but this was an even better watch.

[@jaqenhgar2264]

Like "The Force" in Star Wars universe

[@Elessar0wind]

Nope, The Force is not a limited resource, neither is it harvested.

[@missyureiii]

Wow, this is wonderful to know it comes from Pacific culture since we don’t get much representation but having a part of our beliefs actually be one of the most mainstream fantasy concepts is so cool, I thought it was a reference from manna in the Bible or something from Hindu or Buddhism.

[@conradbaker]

wow..in cebu, philippines we say "Humana" (shortened to Mana) to mean completion or "it is finished" in the tagalog region (northern philippines) "Mana" means inheritance or legacy, like the properties a deceased parent leaves for the children O.O this video is so cool

[@erichauser3042]

Nice video. Since you touched a bit on the classic "The Trumpet Shall Sound," I'm hoping that at some point you'll start talking about Melanesian Cargo Cults.

[@punawelewele]

Cargo cult?? Tell me more.

[@noranzeur8745]

Perhaps the word is even older than we realize, dating back to the ice age or even beyond, when the tribes of men were few and still spreading to vast reaches of the globe, as was the ancient languages they spoke, changing ever so slightly with each generation. Mana means power or energy or something spiritual, to pass down, etc. Food gives you energy which gives you strength or power. When your ancestors die, they empower you with what they've left behind. To people's who don't know when they're next meal is gonna come, it might just be a spiritual thing when it does, hence the word then taking on a more spiritual meaning when food becomes abundant. Over thousands of years, it's not hard to see how a word can change it's meaning or be replaced...

[@lloydchristmas4547]

You've got very interesting topics.

[@mykulpierce]

Would it be of any interest to you to know that there was a study in 2015 where water with a copper powder was converted to ethanol using electric charge of only about 2 volts and less than an amp? The result was non-potable but there are a number of different groups researching this thread now trying to find an abiotic process for creating potable ethanol using this technique.

[@the11382]

Law of conservation of mass, where does the carbon come from?

[@mykulpierce]

@@the11382 carbon dioxide diffused in water

[@ninotria8042]

I've always thought it's from the Bible, but it makes sense now. In the Philippines, "mana" is a word that describes something to inherit or given away. If used as "pinamana" it means given power or just given. If you use it as "mano" as in "mano po", it means you're asking for blessings from your elders. The word "mano" might also be the Spanish word for hand as when you ask for a blessing from your elders, you touch the knuckle part of their hand on your forehead.

[@inactivechannel5160]

In my language mana means something you possess from an older family member. Like a last will testament. Im not really good at English

[@thefunniestvalentine9654]

Question though i’m wondering if there is a reason for the different pronunciations of man-ah and mah-nuh if it’s different dialects of the pacific islands or something else

[@Ithirahad]

Differing degrees of Anglicization. Neither of these pronounciations have as much to do with any Oceanian language or dialect difference so much as different ways for an English speaker to try and read the best-fit written transcription "mana".

[@imagonnasah8319]

Whereas in Malay and Indonesian "Mana" just means "where" lol

[@aproposracer855]

Do they say Man - Ahh or Mah-na? Or neither

[@billbowser13]

@@aproposracer855 it's pronounced like momma, just with na instead of ma at the end

[@imagonnasah8319]

@@aproposracer855 well in colloquial Malay they pronounce it as "Ma-Ne"/"Ma-Ner"(unprominent r) but both e is like the one in "the" In both standard Indonesian and Malay,its "Ma-Na" like Mama

[@commieRob]

Do we think the western conception of mana was influenced by the 'manna' of the bible? A live-giving food that falls from the heavens?

[@cernowaingreenman]

No, they are not connected. The words may sound similarly, but there's no linguistic ties between them.

[@jacobscrackers98]

@@cernowaingreenman But westerners might have thought of manna from the Bible while taking the concept of mana from the Austronesians.

[@piperar2014]

Before entering the dungeon, the mage must conjure bread for everyone in the party.

[@commieRob]

Of course they have no shared linguistic origin. But they are both things fiction writers and video game designers would have had a vague notion of at the same time, despite having little or no idea where either actually comes from. It seems like there would be plenty of pop culture confusion.

[@austinsontv]

I would like to share that "Wakáŋ" (pronounced with an emphasis on the 2nd a and a stopping nasal n) and Wakán are different. The first is the spirit/mana referred to in this video, and Wakán means above something.

[@Yung_Wicklove]

Awesome video!

[@gibrannicholau3447]

In Javanese manah means heart (like the heart in

[@diebesgrab]

I’m pretty sure MP in Dragon Quest (and by extension, the Hero’s MP in SSB) stands for Magic Points, not Mana Points.

[@RetardEd001]

I thought mana was some sort of ancient European concept about sorceries. Never knew it came from South East Asia. Mana in Philippine language is inheritance. Weird.

[@Xashe]

Makes sense. Mana in the Māori language is known to derive from our parents - often when referring to ones authority, sometimes over possessions and land.

[@ericwilmarth3302]

Manna is the food that god gave the levites crossing the dessert in Numbers in the Tanakh/Old Testament. This was most likely honeydew from insects that crystalizes in the desert. It’s some tasty stuff tbh In a more directly Christian context, it is commonly used to describe something spiritually nourishing. Personally, i prefer the muppets skit

[@elfarlaur]

When you were discussing the other types of forces which were analogized to mana, I though of the concept of Manitou in Innu and other Algonquian cultures. I was reading French Jesuit relations where they try to explain it to their colleagues back home and they seem to run into the problem of different people defining it differently. If I'm not mistaken, the Innu today describe it as "charisma" or "power" in a way similar to how some of the Oceanic peoples you mentioned did. I seem to recall them noting that it was something that chiefs and good hunters have.

[@jaketorbeck]

This is helpful, Andrew. Sharing around!

[@jakob8412]

"Mana" in Tagalog translates into inheritance

[@Myself23512]

Cool! I never knew that the mana in games had anything to do with austronesia. I always thought it was the biblical mana.

[@diegocrusius]

was a videogame and Magic the Gathering player in the 90s, and, locally, we only used mana for the cardgame, and later for the Diablo games.

[@thenewguy6839]

would love to see you do the cargo cults

[@ridleyroid9060]

When you said Mana was kinda like Amen in Fiji, at that moment, I wanted an RPG to use Amen Points instead of Mana Points.

[@fleachamberlain1905]

Very interesting. BTW, Australia has the Manna Gum, named for an energy rich exudation that could be eaten. I don't know the names exact origin.

[@chocodoco4855]

I always assumed it was a reference to the biblical manna, as in videogames it is used as a replenishable resource that is consumed (much like the biblical divine food).

[@sanicanadkarni918]

Very different topic ......... When I heard Mana, I actually thought of the food of jews

[@nhavko]

Seconded. I think the people who play the fantasy games referenced in the video are more likely to have come into contact with a concept of Mana/Manna as a supernatural life-sustaining substance in the context of the old testament

[@patrickhodson8715]

Right, same. I was surprised to learn they’re unrelated

[@AaronSherman]

@@patrickhodson8715 Are they? Or was there some cross-influence there? South Pacific languages were heavily influenced by interactions with early explorers and it doesn't seem all that unlikely that missionaries from one of the major colonial powers could have been responsible for this word's emergence there, much the same way the word for bread became "pan" in Japan when they met with early Portuguese explorers.

[@AaronSherman]

Looking more deeply at what I said above, this might be an example of my Christianized European biases... if the word spread to the South Pacific by way of interaction with Abrahamic religious contact, it would almost certainly have been via Arabic trade in the same way that Islam reached Indonesia, prior to European contact centuries later.

[@mathewfinch]

@@AaronSherman and it would be unlikely to have spread by missionaries considering the sheer number of cultures that have the same concept. The likelihood that a word so central to so many pacific cultural group's religious beliefs is a result of relatively recent external influence seems small to me.

[@lshulman58]

Since you seem to be into discussing religion influence in video games, how about a video on Avatars?

[@PKAnon]

This was so good that I hit the bell

[@gaufrid1956]

The letter "a" in Austronesian languages makes the sound "ah" not "a", hence the reason for confusion here with the Biblical "bread from Heaven". If you pronounce it correctly as "Mah-nah" then there is no confusion. In Tagalog for example "mana" means "inheritance, heritage, legacy", and languages here in the Philippines are full of words with double and sometimes triple "a". In Tagalog, I can say "Naaalala ako" for "I remember". In Binisaya we say "maayo" for "good". You pronounce each letter, and each letter always makes the same sound. The languages are completely phonetic.

[@Themidwestlitvak]

The biblical bread from Heaven is correctly pronounced this way too, so unfortunately the confusion is sticking around. Nonetheless super interesting!

[@gaufrid1956]

@@Themidwestlitvak true because in Hebrew "aleph" makes the sound "ah". However I guess a lot of people mispronounce the word as "man-a". It's also interesting to note that there are words in Hawaiian related to Tagalog words, so great is the spread of Austronesian languages.

[@Themidwestlitvak]

@@gaufrid1956 interestingly the letters in Hebrew are all considered consonants (some guttural, some act as a mater to indicate a vowel) with the vowels coming later with pointing surrounding the letters. Although, I just found out the Hebrew is "mahn" (spelled with the letters Mem, nun and a 'kamatz' vowel), without a second syllable! Super interesting, I will have to learn more about Austronesian languages.

[@gaufrid1956]

@@Themidwestlitvak I remember my Grade 7 history teacher taught us both the Hebrew and Ancient Greek alphabets. I guess the name of God from the Yahwistic tradition would be written "Yod Waw He". Semitic languages, like the language of Ancient Egypt for example, also were consonantal. That is something totally different to Austronesian languages where almost every consonant in a word is followed by a vowel. Originally the languages in the Philippines had three vowels only, "a", "i" and "u". Spanish influence from 1521 on introduced the vowels "e" and "o". It's possible to use either "I" or "e" in spelling words, and "u" or "o". It took me a while to get used to this, because in English spelling is very strict. I tend to favor using the original three vowels, except when the word has a Spanish origin. The languages here in the Philippines are less pure than many other Austronesian languages, due to the heavy influence of Chinese, Spanish and to a lesser extent Arabic and Sanskrit. Languages like Tongan, Fijian, Hawaiian and the Maori language in New Zealand are much purer. I'm no linguist, but I am very interested in languages and their development. As a young man I studied Latin, French and Sanskrit to college level. That meant I could easily understand any words in the languages here in the Philippines which were derived from Spanish or Sanskrit.

[@OpEditorial]

Genuinely surprised the *"Manamana" song from The Muppet Show* wasn't mentioned here...

[@backwardsbandit8094]

It's really hard to describe the Maori understanding of Mana in English as it's used in many different contexts. I guess it refers to prestige and status, although it has more respectable connotations to it than that. It has a spiritual tone to it, but you must understand that Maori spirituality is naturalistic. I guess you would say that a Maori chief has a lot of mana, respectability from strength of spirit. I see some people mention tapu here. Tapu is easier to translate. Its something that's scared and holy. Whether it's a principle that you must not violate, or an object or place that you must treat with respect and/or not interact with. For example, a Maori chieftain's food is Tapu. Only the Maori chief can eat his food because it is tapu. Another very common example is that its tapu to sit on a table or wherever food is prepared. This one has extended into the more general public in NZ, although I think it's generally considered bad manners worldwide.

[@Mtlbro6]

A very informative video, but I have a question. Didn't the word mana appear in the KJV in 1611? I don't see how the word could "enter the popular lexicon" in the 19th century. Wasn't it already there?

[@Scalesthelizardwizard]

The ancient Egyptians believed the soul has 5 parts one was Ka the Vital Essence it was their explanation for body heat basically a medaforical candle but if you have an Egyptian themed setting instead of using mana call the energy for casting spells Ka

[@grndragon7777777]

I was thinking it might be a form of chi as well

[@arisasaito8346]

Can you start a podcast please?

[@noevargas1120]

Great video! Is there any other ways to understand the meaning of words besides interviewing natives? Sorry if it’s a naive question, I have no anthropology background

[@matthewdresslaer]

Did you do a video chi versus Mana

[@nickverbree]

This was such a cool video; super interesting