The adjective mantic stems from the Greek mantis, meaning prophet.
Mantic
adj.
of or relating to the faculty of divination: prophetic
If you're thinking of the insect mantis, yes, it got its name from the same Greek source. This was because the praying posture of its front legs reminded people of a prophet.
According to my handy Page A Day calendar:
... the combining form "-mancy," which means "divination in a (specified) manner" (as in "necromancy" and "pyromancy"), is a relative of mantic. Also related is "mania," meaning "insanity marked by uncontrollable emotion or excitement" or "excessive enthusiasm."
"Mania" descends from the Greek mainesthai ("to be mad"), a word akin to mantis and its offspring. And indeed, prophesying in ancient Greece was sometimes believed to be "inspired madness."
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