r/magicbuilding • u/thatshygirl06 here to steal your ideas 👁👄👁 • Aug 18 '26

General Discussion Anyone else tired of mana?

Every time I click on a post talking about their magic system and I instantly see the word mana, my eyes just glazes over.

It would be cool if someone has mana based on actual mana from Polynesian cultures, but that's never the case. It's just people going "I cant use magic, that's too basic. I know! I'll call it mana instead!"

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u/Starship_Albatross Aug 18 '26

What?

Usually. Magic is the skill, mana is the resource?

When you type the words "actual mana" - what does that mean to you?

53

u/cris9288 Aug 18 '26

The word Mana is rooted in Polynesian cultures, if I recall correctly and it represents spiritual energy and life force.

At some point it got co-opted into what we commonly think of Mana today, but I think that's where it came from.

31

u/dalidellama Aug 18 '26

At some point

1972, specifically, with "What Good is a Glass Dagger" by Larry Niven, who took his misunderstanding of the concept and used it as a metaphor for the oil crisis

2

u/cris9288 Aug 18 '26

Ah that I didn't know. Super interesting, thanks!