why 21 shots in some funerals?

Question

why not 4 or 25?

had I wanted to make a search, i had made it myself, I never answer with a link, only with my own knowledge. anyway thanks.

Answer 1

It started with a few but everyone has to out do the next. It is a sign of respect. The more shots the higher up the person was. They stopped at 21 for some reason.

Answer 2

The "21" gun-salute, or royal salute in the UK, has not always been 21. According to the US Army, original salutes between ships and land batteries were 7 gun salutes, supposedly for biblical reasons (i.e. it took seven days to creat the earth, etc.). The land batteries returning the salute trippled the number of shots, again for mystical reasons as well as having more gun powder to spare for the salute.

In the nineteenth century, US salutes equalled the number of states. For example, in 1810 there were 17 guns. However, upon international agreement, 21 was settled upon as full honors.

However, there can be higher salutes. The end of the day salute on the day of a president's funural gets 50 shots at every military base capable of doing so. There are also lower salutes. Lower ranking officers get lower honors than full and so only recieve seven shots. These salutes also vary when giving honors to foreign leaders - according to protocol

Answer 3

Here's the explanation
Graveside military honors include the firing of three volleys each by seven service members. This commonly is confused with an entirely separate honor, the 21-gun salute. But the number of individual gun firings in both honors evolved the same way.

The three volleys came from an old battlefield custom. The two warring sides would cease hostilities to clear their dead from the battlefield, and the firing of three volleys meant that the dead had been properly cared for and the side was ready to resume the battle.

Answer 4

Part is the double mystical connection (seven and three)

By 1730, British Naval Regulations were amended to that the number of guns discharged were at the discretion of the chief office, but not to exceed 21 for any ship

Answer 5

I have heard several explanations..
One is as follows..
1776 was the date of the declaration of independence of the USA.
1+7+7+6 = 21 shots...

Answer 6

Another factoid, in today's cemetaries civilian or military, after the flag and the salute, all personnel must pick up shell discards and account for them to the funeral director, they can not be shared with the family of the deceased as momentos of the service, they only get the casket flag.

Answer 7

It is called a 21-gun salute.

The tradition of rendering a salute by cannon originated in the 14th century as firearms and cannons came into use. Since these early devices contained only one projectile, discharging them once rendered them ineffective. Originally warships fired seven-gun salutes--the number seven probably selected because of its astrological and Biblical significance. Seven planets had been identified and the phases of the moon changed every seven days. The Bible states that God rested on the seventh day after Creation, that every seventh year was sabbatical and that the seven times seventh year ushered in the Jubilee year.

Land batteries, having a greater supply of gunpowder, were able to fire three guns for every shot fired afloat, hence the salute by shore batteries was 21 guns. The multiple of three probably was chosen because of the mystical significance of the number three in many ancient civilizations. Early gunpowder, composed mainly of sodium nitrate, spoiled easily at sea, but could be kept cooler and drier in land magazines. When potassium nitrate improved the quality of gunpowder, ships at sea adopted the salute of 21 guns.

The 21-gun salute became the highest honor a nation rendered. Varying customs among the maritime powers led to confusion in saluting and return of salutes. Great Britain, the world's preeminent seapower in the 18th and 19th centuries, compelled weaker nations to salute first, and for a time monarchies received more guns than did republics. Eventually, by agreement, the international salute was established at 21 guns, although the United States did not agree on this procedure until August 1875.

The gun salute system of the United States has changed considerably over the years. In 1810, the "national salute" was defined by the War Department as equal to the number of states in the Union--at that time 17. This salute was fired by all U.S. military installations at 1:00 p.m. (later at noon) on Independence Day. The President also received a salute equal to the number of states whenever he visited a military installation.

In 1842, the Presidential salute was formally established at 21 guns. In 1890, regulations designated the "national salute" as 21 guns and redesignated the traditional Independence Day salute, the "Salute to the Union," equal to the number of states. Fifty guns are also fired on all military installations equipped to do so at the close of the day of the funeral of a President, ex-President, or President-elect.

Today the national salute of 21 guns is fired in honor of a national flag, the sovereign or chief of state of a foreign nation, a member of a reigning royal family, and the President, ex-President and President-elect of the United States. It is also fired at noon of the day of the funeral of a President, ex-President, or President-elect.

Gun salutes are also rendered to other military and civilian leaders of this and other nations. The number of guns is based on their protocol rank. These salutes are always in odd numbers.

Answer 8

ITS CALLED A 21 GUN SALUTE.. . . . TO HONOR FALLEN HEROES

Answer 9

really i dont know, but it is very good question

Answer 10

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/faq/salute.htm

Don't you know about search engines? Simple!

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Thanks for these two, though I had to really work for them!!!