Mani

Mani was a third-century Persian prophet, the founder of the dualistic Manichaean religion, which borrowed eclectically from Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and Buddhism.

"Mani" is short for the mantra of Avalokiteshvara (tibetan:Chenrezig[?]).

The mantra is OM MANI PADME HUM.

Pronounced in Tibet OM MANI PE ME HUM.

In Norse mythology, Mani was the god of the moon and a son of Mundilfari and Glaur. Mani pulled the moon through the sky every night, pursued by the wolf Hati. Lunar eclipses were caused by Hati coming close to catching Mani; children banged pots together and made great noise, hoping to scare Hati away from the moon.

Mani is unusual because lunar deities tend to be female, nearly universally, probably because of the connection between menstruation and the phases of the moon.

Hjuki and Bil, children of Vidfinn, were sent by their father to Byrgir, a well, to fetch water. Mani kidnapped them; they can be seen (along with their cask and pole) on the face of the moon (craters). This story may be the source of the nursery rhyme called Jack and Jill[?].

Mani is a region in Greece. It consists of the middle finger of the Peloponnese including the Taygetos[?]-mountains. The mani is characterized by spare vegetation, few inhabitants and many old stone towers all over the country side. The people of the Mani (Maniotes), supposedly the direct descendants of the old Spartans, played a leading role in the greek independence war in the beginning of the 19th century

Mani is a town in Yucatan, Mexico. Mani has been continuously occupied for approximately 4,000 years. In the postclassic Mesoamerican era it was home to the Tutal Xiu Maya dynasty, which was the dominant power in the western Yucatan after the fall of Mayapan in 1441. With the arrival of the Spanish the Xiu of Mani allied themselves with the Spanish and assisted in the conquest of the rest of the peninsula.