On Tinctures in Period - Part VIII: Tenne and Sanguine

Going beyond the regular Tinctures, there are those strange creatures of tawny or orange, and of blood red, known in Blazon as Tenne and Sanguine respectively.

Dame Juliana Berners - Boke of Saint Albans (1486)

St Albans gives the tinctures of termed "brusk" and "sinamer or sanguine"

Tercius lapis

And this stone is calde brusk colore in armys

The thirde stone is calde an Ametisce a dusketli stone brusk hit is calde in armys. The vertue ther of is : that he the wich berith in his Cotearmur that stone. fortunable of victori in his kinges batayll shall be. the wich stone is reserved to the virtutys crowne that was fortunable and victoriows in his kyngs batail of heven whan they faught with Lucifer.


Quintus lapis

A loys is calde sinamer or sanguine in armys

The . v . stone is calde a Loys . a sanguine stone or sinamer hit is calde in armys. The vertue therof is : the gentilman thatt in his Cotearmure this stone berith myghtifull of power in his kyngys batayll shall be . the wich stone was reserved in domina cionys crowne that was myghtifull of powere in his kyngys bataill of hevyn whan thei faught with Lucifer.

It is interesting that these tinctures are given positions three and five, of the nine (with Purpure between them).

John Bossewell - Workes of Armorie (1572)

Orenge Tawney, termed Tenne, is compared to the Dragons Head, and to the Jacinthe.

The Jacinth is taken to be medecinable, and to give vigor or strength to the Lyms, to encrease the Synewes, and to provoke quite & sound sleape.

Murrey, termed Sanguine, is compared to the Dragons Tail, and to the Sardonix.

The Sardonix saieth Isidore also is three coloured, black about the botom, white in the middest, and redd at the toppe. [...] The Lapidarie sayeth , it is bredd & borne of the Sardye, which is father to him, & Onyx. [...] In workyng it maketh a man lowlye, & shamefaste in his doinges.

In the second table of tinctures, Tenne and Sanguine are excluded from mention (indeed, Purpure only just barely scrapes a mention).

Of the 9. diverse coulours, planettes, and precious stones before rehearced, which be assigned for the fielde of Cote armoure. There be moste usually used in the blazon of oure English ensignes, but 6.

John Ferne - The Blazon of Gentrie (1586)

In the table of diverse systems of blazon, Ferne has omitted Tenne and Sanguine, by good cause. However, they are given place in the table of tinctures to angels (as there are nine orders of angels, so a rounded nine tinctures may be of use here.)

It is even so, you shall know that Purple was called Plumby : Tawney was named Bruske : and Sanguine was blazonned by the name of Synamer.

Bruske, alias Tawny, is compared to the Powers, fortunate of victory. Synamer, alias Sanguyne, is compared to the Denominations, mighty of power.

Edmund Bolton - The Elements of Armories (1610)

I have found no mention of Tenne or Sanguine in Bolton's writing, who only barely admits to the possibility of Purpure in arms.

John Guillim - Display of Heraldrie (1611)

Tawney (saith Leigh) is a Colour of worship, and of some Heralds it is called Bruske, and is most commonly borne of French Gentlemen, but very few doe beare it in England. In Blazonit is knowen by the name of Tenne. It is (saith he) the surest colour that is (of so bright a hew being compounded) for it is made of two bright colours, which are Red and Yellow : neither shall you have any Colour so made among all that may be devised ; and not to be stainand.

The last of the seven mixed colors, we doe commonly call Murrey, but in Blazon, Sanguine, and is (as most truly saith Leigh) a Princely Colour, being indeed one of the colors appertaining of ancient time to the Prince of Wales. It is a colour of great estimation, and very stately, and is of use in certained roabes of the Knights of the Bath. Some Heralds of approved judgement do hardly admit these two last mentioned for Colours of Fields, in regard they are reckoned Staynand Colours. Yet some Coats of Armes there are, and those of reverend antiquitie, whose Fields are of those Colours, for which respect they have beene allowed for Colours of Fields, as Sir John Ferne in his Glorie of Generositie noteth. THis kinde of bearing, Leigh doth instance in two English Gentlemen of ancient Houses, that have of long time borne Tawney in their Armes: the one of them he nameth Hounzaker, and the other Finers.

This is a much higher estimation of these two tinctures than may be found in any of the other sources save St Albans.

In his table of the names used for the tinctures and their order, Guillim gives Tennè the eigth place, the stone of Iacynthe, and the planet of Dragons head, and gives Sanguinethe ninth place, the stone of Sardonyx, and the planet of Dragons taile.