In Māori mythology, Rongo is the god of agriculture and peace.
Rongo, also called Rongo-mā-Tāne, is especially associated with cultivated plants and the kūmara, or sweet potato. The crop was vital to Māori communities, but difficult to grow in much of New Zealand because many Polynesian food plants originated in warmer climates. Rongo therefore represented the success and fertility of gardens.
His name is also linked with peace, particularly peace after warfare. This association reflects the contrast between cultivation, which requires settled cooperation, and conflict, which disrupts planting and harvests. Rongo is sometimes paired conceptually with Haumia, who represents uncultivated or wild foods.
A common mix-up is Tangaroa, the sea god, or Tāwhirimātea, the god of winds and storms. Rongo is also important elsewhere in Polynesia: in Mangaian tradition, he is strongly connected with agriculture, taro, warfare, and ritual.