MANA
supernatural or divine power, or to have authority, privilege or power
In Polynesian culture such as Hawaiian, Mana is a spiritual attribute considered to have supernatural beginnings – a sacred impersonal force existing in the universe. As a result, to have Mana is to have influence and authority, and virtue – the power to execute in a given situation. This significant attribute 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 blessed with Mana are accorded “respect”; because their possession of Mana gives them “authority”, “power”, and “prestige”.
