mystery, essence, substance, matter, supernatural spirit, anima, quiddity, attribute, property, God, deity, godlike, mystical, incorporeal, transcendental, invisible reality.'
A supernatural being that controls nature, common in the belief systems of Algonquian-speaking American Indians. Among the Illinois, manitous were personal spirits that took the form of a bison, bear, wolf, or some other animal, and which allowed a person to communicate with the supreme deity, Kitchesmanetoa.