Purpureus and Caeruleus
Very cool site.

Since we have covenants named for those two colors, I would prefer to replace Violaceus with Purpureus, and Cyaneus with Caeruleus.

Also, is there really a green book and a dark green book? And somehow, I'd thought there was no orange book, but that is probably just me misremembering.

Indigo; Violet; Purple.

And the confusion between Gilvus and Citreus and Luteus, even. —“Purple” is a different thing than either “indigo” or “violet,” and I was maybe too slavishly sticking with Roy G. Biv. Again, I think there’s arguments; and I think the Purpureans are setting themselves apart from other Lemmites rather impishly, and the confusion between Indigo, Violet, and even Scarlet/Red that’s inherent in “Purpureus” plays to their sense of obfuscation. So I’d rather leave purpureus out of what passes for a canonical list with the bare majority, myself.

And venetus is an azure blue, which looked more like blue-dyed leather than cæruleus; I didn’t see the deep sea-green that’s also under venetus, and which reminds me of that peculiar blue-green-grey color in Cornish whose name I can’t remember, and also that crackpot theory that the ancient Greeks and Romans physically saw fewer colors than we do, because their color names don’t match up neatly with ours. So maybe we dump venetus and call it lividus instead.

Purpureus
Lemmite covenants have been named:

Ruber, Rufus, (red) two terms which cover the same shade (although rufus is the broader term)

Gilvus, (off yellow)

Aureus, (golden)

Caeruleus, (not actually sky blue (although I guess it can be), but exactly that peculiar color of the sea)

Purpureus (Vomer Purpureus as well as Argutator, so it isn't just Purpurean perversity). Of course, purpureus isn't purple either.

I think the solution here may be that the colors of the covenants are the colors of the robes, not the colors of the books. One dons the purple, but one reads the indigo book. Perhaps one also dons the Caerulean robes, but reads the Venetus book.

And I guess the existance of Amnis Aureus disproves my belief that there isn't an orange book.

Now, see, this is why I should have been more wary.

I’d rather scotch the list entire than decouple the color of the robes from the color of the books. But it looks like we could replace “violaceus” with “purpureus” and “venetus” with “cæruleus” and pretty much take care of most of the quibbles? Yes?

Gilvus and Aureus
Gilvus and Aureus would need to replace Citreus and Luteus.

There remains the question of why no one has ever founded a green Lemmite covenant

Red, orange, yellow, blue, purple, but no green.

Maybe there is no green book of Lem?

Or maybe there is a theoretical reason that we don't yet understand for why no one would name their covenant "Green ..."

It looks to me as if the Covenants skip every other color
Looks like the pattern is to leap-frog colors in the covenant foundings.

So the Circulans started with red (Circulus Ruber), then jumped over orange and went straight to yellow (Pilleus Gilvus), then jumped over green and went to blue (Ambulator Caeruleus, Sol Caeruleus), then jumped over indigo and went to the non-canonical purple (Vomer Purpureus).

Meanwhile, the Imbrians started with red (Imber Rufus), and then followed the Circulan pattern by jumping right over orange and going straight to yellow (Amnis Aureus). Unless by "aureus" they meant to indicate orange, of course.

I have a dim tickling in the back of my brain.

I seem to recall something like that being retconned into being in some vague discussion lo these many years ago. It’s specifically the “aureus” being intended as “yellow” that triggered it.

I did update the colors per Charles’ suggestion, but I think this is making it rather clear: one of the things the Lemmites argue about is what even to call the dam’ colors in the first place. —“Aurantius”? Not “Luteus”? Splitter!

Particularly given the obsession with in-text color symbolism
"How dare you call it the Lutean Book!? When the Lutean Feather Boa was eaten by the Caerulean Hedgehog in the Parable of the Thirty Seven Cotton Seeds, this was clearly meant to signify that Luteus was not one of the canonical colors."

"But that parable is given in the black book..."

"Do you dare to suggest that the Master did not envision the entire work whole and entire while he sat under the ancient melos shrub above the high cliffs of Trethvys?! What kind of Westmarchite are you anyway?"

"oh yeah! What about the Flautist in Luteus in the secta "Lem at the Ascension Day Pagent? How can you deny that his guidance of the dancers shows clearly that the book is Lutean, not Aurantian?"

Primary colors (plus Purple)
Which makes sense, since it gives us primary colored covenants (red, yellow, blue). Who wants to live in a secondary color?

Plus, if you livein a Orange or Green covenant, your just inviting trouble from the damned UDL or the cruel IRA...

Six, not seven.

In discussing matters with Charles, I am reminded that the Indigo Book (rather, Liber Purpureus, so, Purple Book, but Indigo is teh kewl, so) is the last extant book of Lem, because as any devout follower of Love and Reason will tell you, there are six colors in a rainbow, not seven. —The list has been adjusted accordingly.