A Polynesian tree with wood used for making canoes and other items, or the supernatural power of objects in Polynesian culture.
From Polynesian languages including Hawaiian, Maori, and Samoan, referring both to a specific tree (Hibiscus tiliaceus) and to a concept of spiritual essence or power in Maori philosophy.
In Maori philosophy, 'hau' is the spiritual essence that binds people through gift-giving and exchange—anthropologists studying it revolutionized how we understand that gifts create social relationships, not just transactions.
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