Gallant Knight Violet

Old French galant, brave / charming — present-participle of galer (to make merry). As a color modifier, gallant implies a saturated-and-chivalrous-and-confident quality, the deep-rich color of Three-Musketeers and Cyrano-de-Bergerac swashbuckling adventure tradition. Sits at the bold-and-chivalrous end of the grid, parallel to valiant and heroic.

Old English cniht, young-man / knight. As a color modifier, knight implies a chivalric-and-armored quality, the visual register of English-Plantagenet-and-French-Capetian hand-forged plate-armor-and-shield-and-lance-and-pennant knightly-and-chivalric surfaces under English-Plantagenet-and-French-Capetian chivalric-armored-knight ceremonial-court light. Sits at the modifier-and-cultural end of the grid, parallel to squire and page in usage.

Viola odorata, the European sweet violet — small, fragrant, and the original meaning of the color name in English (the Violet of the rainbow). The color refers to a fresh sweet violet blossom in late winter: a saturated, slightly red-shifted deep blue-purple with the matte finish of small five-petaled flower. Cooler than amethyst, warmer than indigo, with the perfumed weight of a flower used in Roman garlands and Victorian eau de toilette.