#youcannotpass

Monument Le Mort Homme, Chattancourt France, December 2018.

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Monument Le Mort Homme

The scene of ferocious fighting during the Battle of Verdun, Le Mort Homme (The Dead Man, named before the Great War began curiously enough) lost 35 feet in overall height due to the amount of artillery fire that took place between the French and Germans. The ground still bears the pockmarked evidence of the shell explosions despite being covered by Austrian pine trees that were planted in the 1930’s (strong enough to withstand the toxic soil, poisoned by the remains of battle). The Germans took this hill in May of 1916 and, despite constant fighting, it was not taken back by the French until August 1917.

There are two prominent memorials at the top of the hill. The smaller of the two, an obelisk with an engraved sword to commemorate the French 40th Division. The other, a large skeleton holding the French flag and a torch, a commemoration of the French 69th Division. “ILS NONT PAS PASSE” (They Did Not Pass), in reference to French General Robert Nivelle’s inspiring June 23 1916 order of the day (Ils ne passeront pas!), is inscribed on the base of the monument. Author J.R.R. Tolkien, serving at the Somme in July of 1916, may have been aware of Nivelle’s order and, along with other experiences from the Great War, might have used this bit history when writing Gandalf’s equally inspiring words in his 1954 Lord of the Rings – Fellowship of the Ring:

You cannot pass," he said. The orcs stood still, and a dead silence fell. "I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn. Go back to the Shadow! You cannot pass.

It was a snowy, foggy and icy drive to get to this place. It was very quiet, I was the only one stupid enough to be at the top of this hill on such a miserable day, but the weather seemed appropriate for the location. It would have been interesting to explore the woods a bit, but there was no path and who knows what unexploded munitions are still in the ground up there.