Ritual and ceremony.
Whether religious, political or otherwise, these are two things that are often viewed as being “old-fasioned,” “outdated,” and, for the most part, entirely unnecessary.
They are often things that are done which seem wasteful, which seem to be done only for the sake of tradition, with no real explanation given as to the reasons behind them.
This being said, it can often be quite surprising to note the true histories behind such things, in order to see that like most things, traditions which seem today to be superficial and unimportant, had beginnings that were very much the opposite. They had beginnings which were both important and pragmatic, and perhaps by remembering these origins, it can be easier to understand and appreciate their modern manifestations.
The Laying Down of Arms
In the middle ages there was a common practice among warriors (and in the middle ages there was certainly no shortage of warriors, or of wars in which they could hone their skills) where they would place themselves in an indefensible position – a position with no weapons of any kind – when presenting themselves before someone who was to be respected.
In this they would display trust by allowing themselves to be completely open to attack. It was a grand gesture.
The Emptying of Cannons
Such was a similar idea after the advent of gunpowder cannons on board naval ships throughout the world (mostly during the 14th and 15th centuries, A.D.) - only this display was even more practical.
When one ship surrendered to another after being defeated in battle during those times, it became customary for them to light off all of their cannons at once into the open water, thus ensuring to the victors their good faith – telling them that they were thus unarmed (and in those days, it took a considerable amount of time to load a cannon once again, so the victors could be ensured of this good faith for at least a few minutes).
This practice eventually evolved into another.
When a Man o' War (that is, an armed military vessel) approached a foreign port, it became customary for them to fire off seven rounds from their cannons (as seven was the most common number of guns these smaller ships carried) – again, this was a show of good faith, ensuring the port defenses that they had not arrived to cause any trouble.
The defensive positions (usually having many more guns than these small ships) would respond with a salute of three shots for every one fired by the ship – thus, they would fire 21 guns into the ocean.
The Modern Salute
It is from here, as can probably be guessed, that the modern tradition of offering 21 gun salutes for important people and events originated.
Of course, like any great ceremony, it has at times throughout history grown somewhat out of hand.
During the height of the British Empire, it became customary to offer different “degrees” of salutes to different foreign dignitaries, depending on their importance. The King-Emperor of British India, for instance, would be offered a 101 gun salute, while many of the other lesser nations continued to be relegated to the original 21.
America, after its founding and establishment as an independent nation, continued this tradition, though tweaking it ever so slightly. The national salute of America became to offer one shot for each of its states.
This was not a result of any grand decision by a group of governing bodies, but rather by accident. In 1778, the American Naval hero John Paul Jones at one point saluted France with 13 guns, and without even knowing it, began a tradition. Thus, the United States originally fired only a 13 gun salute.
By the time 1841 came around, the number of states had doubled, and America was firing a 26 gun salute as their national salute. It was the very next year, 1842, that the salute was finally codified into law (if states kept being added to the union, this could have become quite a waste of gunpowder).
The official salute of the president became the traditional 21 gun salute, and the national salute was the same. In addition, a tradition was begun to salute the states on July 4th with a salute of one gun for each state of the union – but just this one time every year.
And thus, the modern-day American 21 gun salute was born.
It is a trivial thing, I know, but an interesting one nonetheless. 21 Gun Salutes harken back to a day when to empty a loaded weapon in someone's presence was the greatest honor you could bestow. And it is by knowing this that one can appreciate the symbolism of the modern custom.
References:
“Origins of the 21-Gun Salute.” The U.S. Army Military District of Washington.
“History of the 21 Gun Salute.”
 |
