It was born from recordings made by journalist and writer Cornélio Pires of "tales" and fragments of traditional songs in the interior of rural São Paulo, north and west of Paraná, south Minas Gerais and Triângulo Mineiro, Goiás and Mato Grosso southeast.
Minor changes were made to suit domestic politics (such as the Triângulo Mineiro from Goiás to Minas Gerais, the splitting of Paraná and ceding the south bank of the São Francisco River from Pernambuco to Bahia), as well as additions resulting from diplomatic settlement of territorial disputes by the end of the 19th century (Amapá, Roraima, Palmas).