I ka makahiki 1916, ua ʻauʻau ka moku ʻo Somme o Palani i ke koko ma ke ʻano he keu koko loa o ke Kaua Honua Mua. I ka makahiki 1971, ua koi ke kaua kaulana i ka poʻe i make hope loa iā ia. Ua lele kekahi i ka lewa i ka wā e hehi ana i ka grenade mai kēlā wahi. Ua hōʻike ʻia ka mea i hala iho ma ke ʻano he ʻuhane kaua, e like me ke kuʻi hewa i hoʻoliʻiliʻi i nā makahiki ma hope.
ʻO ka mea ʻoi loa o ka haʻalele ʻana o ua mau kāne nei i kahi keikikāne, a ʻekolu wale nō makahiki o lāua i kaʻawale me ka ʻole o kahi huakaʻi, ma nā ʻano āpau.
ʻO nā mea āpau i hiki ke kiʻi wale ʻia ma ke ʻano he hoʻomanaʻo hoʻomanaʻo ʻole, kahi pale moeʻuhane. I loko o nā makahiki e hiki mai ana kahi i ulu ai ʻo Edvard me kona kupuna kāne ʻo Sverre, ʻaʻole ʻo ia i hoʻonāukiuki i kēlā ʻano pōuliuli i hōʻailona i kona hoʻomaka o ke ola. Akā i kekahi manawa pau mau ka hala i ke kipa ʻana iā mākou no ka ʻoi aku a ʻoi paha o ka maikaʻi ʻole, hāʻawi ia iā mākou i ka nānā wikiwiki ʻana i ke aniani o ke ʻano o ia, a i kekahi manawa waiho ia iā mākou i kahi hiʻohiʻona de facto hiki ʻole ke hoʻopau ʻia, a manaʻoʻiʻo mākou ʻaʻole waiwai nui mākou.
ʻEha ʻo Edvard i kēlā hopena hoʻopiʻi mai ka wā i hala a koi ʻia e ʻike hou aku, e ʻike hou aku. A i ʻole ma ka liʻiliʻi e nānā i ke ala i hana ʻia, ʻo ka mea e alakaʻi iā ʻoe ke hāʻule i ka wā i nalowale kekahi mea i kēlā me kēia huakaʻi.
E hoʻi iā Somme i ka hopena, ma hope o kahi huakaʻi e ʻimi ai i kēlā evocative past i ala aʻe me ka ikaika, kokoke i ka huhū, e koi ana i ka nānā piha o Edvard, He hui hou ia me ke kahua e nui mau ana nā mea e haʻi aku iā ʻoe a me ka wehewehe ʻana he aha ia a he aha ia.
Ma ka huakaʻi a Edvard ʻike pū mākou i nā intrahistories o kēlā ʻEulopa i makua ʻole e like me Edvard, kahi Continent e like me ka huina o nā hoahānau i kūlou i ka hakakā i ko lākou ola ʻana. Me ke kanalua ʻole i ka like o ka loea e hoʻi i ke ola o Edvard, i ka ʻoiaʻiʻo o kona mau mākua a me ka ʻoʻoleʻa maoli o ʻEulopa i kekahi manawa e like me ka holoi ʻia hoʻi o ka wā i hala, kahi e aʻo ai a lawe ai i nā haʻawina kūpono.
Hiki iā ʻoe ke kūʻai i kēia puke i kēia manawa ʻO ka ʻumikumamāono kumulāʻau o ka Somme, ka puke hou na Lars Mytting, ma aneʻi:
ʻO ka ʻoiaʻiʻo ua ʻike wau he ʻoluʻolu ia. ʻO kahi saga maikaʻi ʻaʻole ʻoe e luhi i ka heluhelu ʻana.
Me he mea pōkole loa ia iaʻu. Pili iā ʻoe mai ka manawa mua.
ʻOi aku ka maikaʻi o ka pōkole ma mua o ka mea maʻamau: he mau ʻaoʻao x i koe. ʻO ke kiʻekiʻe o ka hiki ke synthes, ʻoiai e mālama ana i ke kaupaona a me ka hohonu o ka weft, ʻoi aku ka maikaʻi, ʻeā?