ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

The Origin and Meaning of the 21-Gun Salute

Updated on May 28, 2013
Source

As the fallen soldier was laid to rest, 3 volleys of shots from 7 rifles echoed out. The 21-gun salute was poignant but with a dash of pride. In many military funerals the 21-gun salute is a stark reminder that death comes to all. As the echo of the riffle blasts shoots through the air, have you ever wondered why this is done?

Demonstration of Peace

The US Army Center for Military History says that this practice was a demonstration of peaceful intentions. How is shooting rifles in the air considered peaceful? To unlock this mystery we need to go far back into civilization’s history - even before there were guns.

Rendering a weapon useless showed a sign of peaceful intention. This action is surprisingly universal! Of course the action is dependent on the weapon at hand. African tribes would point their spears to the ground to signify a non-threatening disposition. The samurais would tuck their katana at their backs or even hold them with their drawing hand just to show non-aggressive demeanor. Since guns during the 14th century were single shot weapons, firing it once rendered them “useless”. Of course you can still use it to bludgeon your enemy but I’m sure you get the point.

The practice of rendering weapons ineffective spread even to warships. A total of seven shots were fired as a sign of submission and peaceful intent. Many scholars believe that the number seven had astrological or even biblical meaning. Regardless what it was based on, warships fired seven times.

On the other hand, land batteries fired 3 times that of the warships. Thus a sign of submission or peaceful intent on land was assigned a total of 21 shots. Again, the multiple of 3 assigned to land batteries has its special meaning. Whether it is due to the mystical significance of 3 in ancient civilizations or some other mystical reason, I cannot confirm it.

Royal Navy 21 Gun Salute filmed and edited by Simon Murray

The Highest State Honor

Although the salute was recognized internationally, there were still confusions on how it must be done. In fact, it was only in August 1875 when the United States agreed on the protocols behind the 21 gun salute. Through the years, the salute morphed even in the United States. Initially, the “National Salute” numbered 17 (the number of states in the Union at that time). It was fired at 1:00 p.m. (it was later changed to 12:00 noon) and on Independence Day. By 1842, the gun salute was officially made into 21 shots.

Today, the 21 gun salute is fired in honor of the flag, a sovereign head of state, a member of a royal family, the President, ex-President or the President-elect of the U.S.

21 Gun Salute: U.S.S. Constitution

The 3 Volley Salute

The 3-volley salute is different from the 21 gun salute. This is a military or police funeral custom usually executed by the honor guards. Its origins can be traced back to the European dynastic conflicts. In between battles, there will be a time to collect the dead and the wounded. Once the dead and wounded were collected a volley of 3 shots were fired. This signaled that the battle can resume.

The rifle party who fired the volleys can range from 3 to 7 individuals. The squad usually fires over the casket. However, if there are any persons attending the funeral, the squad is moved back approximately 50 feet away. For the safety of everyone, blanks cartridges are fired.

Although its origins are quite different from the 21 Gun Salute it has also evolved as a custom to honor. Coupled with the “Taps”, the military funeral customs is one that is truly distinct.

In the right circumstances, firing a weapon demonstrates peace and honor.

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)