The use of "mana" for "magical power" in video games originated from Larry Niven, when he wrote the short story, "Not Long Before the End", in 1969. It was later popularised by his "The Magic Goes Away" setting.
1862 January 25, Thomas H. Smith, “No. 4: Second Report from T. H. Smith, Esq., R.M.”, inAppendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives of New Zealand. From the Seventh Day of July to the Fifteenth Day of September, 1862 both Days Inclusive. In the Twenty-sixth Day of the Reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria. Being the Second Session of the Third Parliament of New Zealand, Wellington: Printed by W. C. Wilson for theHouse of Representatives, at the printing office, Shortland Crescent, Auckland,→OCLC,pages10 and 12:
[page 10] I have the honor to report, for the information of the Government, the result of my visit to Maketu and the Lake District, and the preliminary arrangements made for introducing the new system of Government for the Natives.[…] [page 12] They further required that a certain number of the old Chiefs should be liberally pensioned by the Government, and placed upon a footing of equality with European gentlemen of independent means, in consideration of their resigning their "mana" as Chiefs in favor of the new system;[…]
But in popular estimation their essential virtue derived from the personalmana of the sovereign.
1999, Pat Hohepa, “My Musket, My Missionary and MyMana”, in Alex Calder, Jonathan Lamb, Bridget Orr, editors,Voyages and Beaches: Pacific Encounters, 1769–1840, Honolulu:University of Hawaiʻi Press,→ISBN, page197:
It can be seen, therefore, thatmana is a nonvisible changing measure; it can remain static, increase, or decrease, depending on the actions or inaction of the recipient, and it can be enhanced or diminished.[…] One can speak of themana of a warrior, themana of a woman leader, themana of a child prodigy.
2001 September, Aldo Matteucci, “Language and Diplomacy – A Practitioner's View”, in Jovan Kurbalija, Hannah Slavik, editors,Language and Diplomacy, Malta: DiploProjects, Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies,University of Malta,→ISBN, page61:
Among the Maori sovereignty was the result ofmana—power based on hereditary rank and personal achievement.Manas could coexist and overlap, as they did in the medieval times in Europe.
2012, Harold Hill, “Te Ope Whakaora, the Army that Brings Life: The Salvation Army and Māori”, in Hugh[Douglas] Morrison, Lachy Paterson, Brett Knowles, Murray Rae, editors,Mana Māori and Christianity, Wellington:Huia Publishers,→ISBN:
On a number of occasions in recent years apologies have been offered to Māori because of past offences to theirmana and invasions of their rights astangata whenua.
2003 May 20, “Bear”, “Makes Lovely Julienne Ogres …”, inrec.games.roguelike.angband[3] (Usenet), message-ID <3EC9C629.4DF117C@sonic.net>:
[…] Teleporting from an open room where there were a dozen black orcs firing bows[…] landed me, low onmana and hitpoints, in a room full of gnome mages who instantly summoned four umber hulks and a xorn!
2010, Ernest Adams, “Artifical Life and Puzzle Games”, inFundamentals of Game Design, 2nd edition, Berkeley, Calif.:New Riders,→ISBN, page580:
Mana often grows in exponential proportion to population size, so as the population increases the player acquires vastly greater powers—a progression that god games share with spellcaster characters in role-playing games.
“1. mana”, inKielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish][4] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki:Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland),2004–, retrieved2023-07-01
“2. mana”, inKielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish][5] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki:Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland),2004–, retrieved2023-07-01
In 1979 a gathering of elders at the Waananga kaumatua affirmed te reo Maori“Ko te reo te mauri o temana Maori” the language is the life principle of Maori mana.