Much of identity arises from a shared language, a willingness to understand each other, and an adherence to a common system of belief. So important is language to identity that without a name, a human being ceases to be considered as such. This topic is central to the theological nature of the creation story presented in the sacred chants of the Ayvu Rapyta.

Translated as the Foundation of Human Language or Origins of the Word, the Ayvu Rapyta tells the story of creation through the acts of Ñamandu, who in his kuaarara created language and the Ñe’ẽ even before the existence of the world. The texts themselves are shielded by the use of three distinct speech registers: ayvu, everyday Mbyá Guaraní; ayvu porã, sacred vocabulary used in the transmission of religious traditions; and Ñande Ru Ayvu, a secret language with vocabulary and linguistic forms of non-Guaraní origin.