Imperial Tyr Crimson

From the Latin imperialis, of the empire — applied to color since the medieval period for the hues reserved for sovereigns and empires: imperial purple of Tyrian dye, imperial yellow of Ming-dynasty porcelain. As a modifier, imperial implies saturation combined with the institutional weight of a color owned by a court. Sits in the bold-and-deep corner, alongside royal.

Old Norse Týr, one-handed-god-of-justice-and-war. As a color modifier, tyr implies a one-handed-god-and-Fenrir-binding-and-justice quality, the visual register of Norse-Tyr-and-Fenrir-binding hand-one-handed-god-and-Fenrir-binding-and-justice Norse-Tyr-and-Fenrir-binding-and-Tiwaz-rune tyr-and-one-handed-god-and-Fenrir-binding surfaces under Norse-Tyr-and-Fenrir-binding-and-Tiwaz-rune Asgard-pantheon-and-Tiwaz-rune-stone justice-and-binding-light. Sits at the modifier-and-myth end of the grid, parallel to thor and odin in usage.

From the Old Spanish cremesin, itself from the Arabic qirmiz — the kermes scale insect, dried and ground into a brilliant carmine dye prized in the medieval Mediterranean. For centuries the most expensive red on a draper's shelf, reserved for cardinals, kings, and the cloth that gave English the word crimson. Cooler than scarlet, deeper than rose; the color of pomegranate seeds and a serious occasion.