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[H] The Word "Mana"

Blogs > gods_basement
Post a Reply
gods_basement
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States305 Posts
October 06 2011 22:01 GMT
#1
In the sense of Magic Points, or other measures of "how many skills can you cast," when was this word first used? It seems that a lot of people refer to this as "mana," but the only historical reference is in the Bible.

this is kind of just a question answer thing because i'm curious.

(TT~TT)
Torte de Lini
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
Germany38463 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-10-06 22:03:49
October 06 2011 22:02 GMT
#2
University course; Introduction to Anthropology: "In anthropological discourse, mana as a generalized concept is 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."

Chapter like 4.

Expecting SirJolt to weigh in.

edit: "Mana is an indigenous Pacific islander concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and (debatably) inanimate objects. The word is a cognate in many Oceanic languages, including Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian."
https://twitter.com/#!/TorteDeLini (@TorteDeLini)
Kipsate
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
Netherlands45349 Posts
October 06 2011 22:04 GMT
#3
Here I thought this was going to be about (P)MaNa.
WriterXiao8~~
SolHeiM
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
Sweden1264 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-10-06 22:05:19
October 06 2011 22:05 GMT
#4
I found the exact same answer that Torte de Lini did by typing "mana" into Google, and there's no way I can say this without sounding like a dick, but people like you annoy me.

Fucking Google it you fucking....
josemb40
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
Peru611 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-10-06 22:35:00
October 06 2011 22:34 GMT
#5
Mana was the bread that felt from the sky, in the bible


Edit: its also a cool mexican band =]
wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
SirJolt
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
the Dagon Knight4003 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-10-06 22:53:05
October 06 2011 22:52 GMT
#6
On October 07 2011 07:02 Torte de Lini wrote:
University course; Introduction to Anthropology: "In anthropological discourse, mana as a generalized concept is 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."

Chapter like 4.

Expecting SirJolt to weigh in.

edit: "Mana is an indigenous Pacific islander concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and (debatably) inanimate objects. The word is a cognate in many Oceanic languages, including Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian."


The first place I encountered the general concept (in anthropology) was in Malinowski's Argonauts of the Western Pacific, which is just an amazing ethnography (in many ways, the first modern ethnography) about life in Papua New Guinea. Thoroughly recommended

Similar concepts come up in other anthropological works too, though under different names. Evans Pritchard's Witchcraft, Oracles, and Magic Among the Azande is written from Africa, but has some really wonderful writing about the "witchcraft substance" that naturally occurs in the body of the witch or oracle, lending them power and somehow allowing them to send their spirits out of their bodies to work evil.

Witchcraft, Oracles, and Magic is probably my number one "you should read this just to see how wonderful human beings are" book
Moderator@SirJolt
OmniEulogy
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
Canada6592 Posts
October 06 2011 22:54 GMT
#7
On October 07 2011 07:05 SolHeiM wrote:
I found the exact same answer that Torte de Lini did by typing "mana" into Google, and there's no way I can say this without sounding like a dick, but people like you annoy me.

Fucking Google it you fucking....


He's asking when it was first used as a word, not what it means. Sadly I have no clue with a specific year / time. my best guess is more than 2000 years ago though lol
LiquidDota Staff
Hnnngg
Profile Joined June 2011
United States1101 Posts
October 06 2011 22:55 GMT
#8
On October 07 2011 07:34 josemb40 wrote:
Mana was the bread that felt from the sky, in the bible


Edit: its also a cool mexican band =]


That's manna.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manna
SirJolt
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
the Dagon Knight4003 Posts
October 06 2011 22:58 GMT
#9
On October 07 2011 07:54 OmniEulogy wrote:
Show nested quote +
On October 07 2011 07:05 SolHeiM wrote:
I found the exact same answer that Torte de Lini did by typing "mana" into Google, and there's no way I can say this without sounding like a dick, but people like you annoy me.

Fucking Google it you fucking....


He's asking when it was first used as a word, not what it means. Sadly I have no clue with a specific year / time. my best guess is more than 2000 years ago though lol


If he just wants to know the origin, it is a Maori word for a supernatural power which can be transmitted or inherited (as in above examples).

From some quick research, it's first recorded use as an imported word was in 1843.
Moderator@SirJolt
Torenhire
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
United States11681 Posts
October 06 2011 22:59 GMT
#10
I honestly expected to come in here and see a thread about how to pronounce "Mana"

Mon-na? Man-na?

SirJolt: Well maybe if you weren't so big and stupid, it wouldn't have hit you.
Torte de Lini
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
Germany38463 Posts
October 06 2011 23:16 GMT
#11
Man-A
https://twitter.com/#!/TorteDeLini (@TorteDeLini)
pyaar
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States423 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-10-06 23:17:50
October 06 2011 23:16 GMT
#12
On October 07 2011 07:01 gods_basement wrote:
In the sense of Magic Points, or other measures of "how many skills can you cast," when was this word first used? It seems that a lot of people refer to this as "mana," but the only historical reference is in the Bible.

this is kind of just a question answer thing because i'm curious.


I'm pretty sure mana is distinct from manna. Manna is the stuff from the old testament and mana is a concept from an indigenous religion somewhere.

edit: this:

edit: "Mana is an indigenous Pacific islander concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and (debatably) inanimate objects. The word is a cognate in many Oceanic Last edit: 2011-10-07 07:03:49
languages, including Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian."
Mr. Wiggles
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
Canada5894 Posts
October 06 2011 23:47 GMT
#13
Hmmm, it would actually be interesting to see when this word was first used in video games, or maybe just fantasy as an entire genre. What was the first game/game system or book that used mana in the modern gaming sense?
you gotta dance
kidcrash
Profile Joined September 2009
United States620 Posts
October 07 2011 02:10 GMT
#14
First video game to use the term mana:

Dungeon Master for the Atari ST (1987)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeon_Master_(video_game)



gods_basement
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States305 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-10-08 22:22:40
October 08 2011 21:56 GMT
#15
Thanks. I just was just watching my friend play Call of Duty, and he was out of ammo. I said aloud, "You're out of mana." This was very interesting to me, because essentially they are the same thing, just portrayed in a different form. I wanted to know why this concept was so pervasive among games.

Edit: Sorry for confusing mana and manna.
(TT~TT)
Kingsp4de20
Profile Blog Joined February 2007
United States716 Posts
October 09 2011 01:51 GMT
#16
On October 07 2011 07:05 SolHeiM wrote:
I found the exact same answer that Torte de Lini did by typing "mana" into Google, and there's no way I can say this without sounding like a dick, but people like you annoy me.

Fucking Google it you fucking....


seriously between youtube and google you can learn anything!
Starparty
Profile Blog Joined December 2004
Sweden1963 Posts
October 09 2011 09:14 GMT
#17
On October 07 2011 08:16 Torte de Lini wrote:
Man-A


maa-na
The artist formerly known as Starparty
mizU
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
United States12125 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-10-09 09:35:26
October 09 2011 09:35 GMT
#18
It was first used in 1751 in pre-Colonial Polynesia. Obviously, this is the point in time where power sources were being sought, instead of just wood for fire, and human labor for physically demanding tasks. The shamans or priests began to realize that after enough rest, they had the power of pyrokinesis. They would rub their hands furiously together while under trance then produce small sparks. After enough rest and practice, they eventually leveled up and cast fire balls, like Mario. Mario was their god. And the Mariana trenches was where the first underwater fire was found. Thus the word mana. Mario + Mariana = mana
if happy ever afters did exist <3 @watamizu_
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