Glittering Caves

The Glittering Caves, also known as Aglarond, was the cave system located behind the Deeping Wall of Helm's Deep.The Lord of the Rings, Vol. II: The Two Towers, Book Three, Ch. VIII: "The Road to Isengard", pg. 151-4
==Description==
The Glittering Caves was an immense, beautiful, and ore-laden cave system that extended deep down into the White Mountains for many miles and consisted of many different paths, tunnels, and chambers. A small stream ran down through the narrows of Helm's Deep and into the caves and was its source of water.
==History==
Between the years 3320 and 3430 of the late Second Age,The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Second Age" the Númenóreans of Gondor discovered Aglarond and built a fortress there.The Silmarillion, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age", pg. 291
After Calenardhon was given to the Rohirrim, the Glittering Caves became little used, explored, or known of outside Rohan, with the Rohirrim using them as a refuge during war and for the storage of provisions.
===The War of the Ring and afterwards===
During the War of the Ring, the Hornburg was the refuge of the Rohirrim in the Battle of the Hornburg after being driven back by Saruman's army.The Lord of the Rings, Vol. II: The Two Towers, Book Three, Ch. VII: "Helm's Deep", pgs. 134, 136, 141, 143-4, 146
After the war, Gimli the Dwarf, who had fought mightily in that battle, was allowed to settle a colony of Durin's Folk in the Caves, leading a host of Dwarves from the Lonely Mountain and became the first Lord of the Glittering Caves. Gimli and Legolas had made a pact of friendship that when the War of the Ring ended, Gimli should walk in the deep woods of Fangorn and that Legolas should behold the jeweled splendour of the Glittering Caves. Gimli did so, and in time the Dwarves of the Glittering Caves restored and strengthened the Hornburg.
==Etymology==
Aglarond was a name in Sindarin meaning "Glittering Caves",The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, "Nomenclature of The Lord of the Rings", pgs. 421, 751 "Glittering Cavern",Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth, index or "Caves of Radiance", consisting of the words aglar ("radiance,Parma Eldalamberon XVII, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", pg. 24 (entry "aglar") glory,The Road Goes Ever On: A Song Cycle, "Notes and translations", pgs. 63-5 splendour,Vinyar Tengwar 47, "Eldarin Hands, Fingers & Numerals and Related Writings", Part One, pg. 13 brilliance") from the stem kal- ("light") and rond ("vault, high roofed cavern") from the root rondō ("cavern;The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien: Revised and Expanded Edition, Letter 211 a vaulted or arched roof, as seen from below and usually not visible from outside;The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XI: The War of the Jewels, Part Four: Quendi and Eldar, Author's Notes to Quendi and Eldar, pg. 414 ("Note 26") a large hall or chamber so roofed").
Glæ̂mscrafu is a name in Old English representing a name in Rohanese meaning "caves of radiance".Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth, Part Three: The Third Age, V: "The Battles of the Fords of Isen", "Appendix" (ii), pg. 371 (footnote)
==In other versions==
In an early draft of "The Road to Isengard", Aglarond was originally referred to as the Caves of Helm's Deep.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. VIII: The War of the Ring, Part One: "The Fall of Saruman", III: "The Road to Isengard", pgs. 26-8
While writing "The Palantír" chapter, Tolkien briefly thought of Aglarond as being the location of a Palantír,The History of Middle-earth, Vol. VIII: The War of the Ring, Part One: "The Fall of Saruman", VI: "The Palantír", pgs. 76-8 but rejected the idea.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. VIII: The War of the Ring, Part Three: "Minas Tirith", XII: "The Last Debate", pg. 399 In that same draft, Tolkien referred to the caves as Aglarond, initially translating the name as the Caves of Splendour before changing it to mean the Glittering Caves.
In a later draft, Gimli refers to Aglarond as just the Caves.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. VIII: The War of the Ring, Part Three: "Minas Tirith", IV: "Many Roads Lead Eastward" (1), pg. 297
==Inspiration==
In a letter to P. Rorke, S.J. on February 4 in 1971, J.R.R. Tolkien explained that Gimli's description of the Glittering Caves was directly inspired by his experience in 1940 visiting Cheddar Gorge, an extensive cave system in the southern English county of Somerset.The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien: Revised and Expanded Edition, Letter 321, pg. 572
==In adaptations==
===The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers===
In the second film of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy in 2002, the appearance of the Glittering Caves was determined by the artwork of Alan Lee, matte painter Yanick Dusseault, and Paul Lasaine.Gary Russell, The Art of The Two Towers, "Helm's Deep", pgs. 144-5, 148
==Translations==
Foreign Language 	Translated name
Afrikaans 	Glinsterende grottes
Albanian 	Stoli Shpella
Amharic 	የሚያብረቀርቁ ዋሻዎች
Arabic 	الكهوف المُتلألئة (Al-kohof Al-motala'le'aa)
Basque 	Kobazulo distiratsuak
Belarusian Cyrillic	зіготкія Пячоры
Bengali 	গুহা চমকপ্রদ
Bulgarian Cyrillic 	блестящото Пещери
Cambodian 	ត្រចះត្រចង់គុហា
Catalan 	Brillant Coves
Cebuano 	Nagasiga-siga nga mga Langob
Chinese 	闪闪发光的洞穴 (Glittering Caves)
愛加拉隆 (Aglarond)
Croatian 	Blještave Pećine
Czech 	Třpytivé jeskyně
Danish 	De Glitrende Huler
Dutch 	Glitterende Grotten
Esperanto 	Brilantaj Kavernoj
Estonian 	Sädelev koopad
Filipino 	Kumikinang na Kuweba
Finnish 	Kimaltelevat Luolat
French 	Cavernes Étincelantes
Frisian 	Fonkeljend Grotten
Galician 	Cintilantes Covas
Georgian 	ბრჭყვიალა გამოქვაბულები
German 	Glitzernde Höhlen
Greek 	λαμπερή Σπήλαια
Hebrew 	מערות נוצצות
Hindi 	शानदार गुफाएं
Hungarian 	Csillogó Barlangok
Icelandic 	Blikandi Hellar
Indonesian 	Berkilauan Gua-gua
Italian 	Caverne Scintillanti
Japanese 	きらびやかな洞窟
Javanese 	Sumringah guwa-guwa
Kannada 	ಗುಹೆಗಳು ಹೊಳೆಯುವ
Kazakh 	Жылтыр үңгірлер (Cyrillic) Jıltır üñgirler (Latin)
Korean 	빛나는 동굴
Kurdish 	Xweş şikeftan (Kurmanji)
Kyrgyz Cyrillic 	Жаркылдаган тешик
Latvian 	Mirdzošs alas
Lithuanian 	Spindintys urvai
Macedonian Cyrillic	блескавата Пештери
Malaysian 	Berkilauan Gua-gua
Marathi 	लेणी भव्य
Mongolian Cyrillic 	Гялалзсан агуй
Nepalese 	चम्किरहेको गुफाहरू
Norwegian 	Glitrende Huler
Persian 	غارهای درخشنده
Polish 	Błyszczące jaskinie
Portuguese 	Cavernas Cintilantes (Brazil)
Punjabi 	ਕੇਵਸ ਸ਼ਾਨਦਾਰ
Romanian 	Cetatea Cornului
Russian 	Блестящие пещеры
Serbian 	Блиставе Пећине (Cyrillic) Blistave Pećine (Latin)
Sesotho 	Phatsimang Mahaheng
Sindhi 	چمڪندڙ غار ?
Sinhalese 	දිලිසෙන ලෙන් විහාර
Slovak 	Trblietavé jaskyne
Slovenian 	Bleščeče jame
Somalian 	Quruxdiisa Boholaha
Spanish 	Cuevas Brillantes
Swedish 	Glittrande Grottor
Tajik Cyrillic 	дурахшанда мағораҳо
Tamil 	குகைகள் ஒளிவிடும்
Telugu 	మెరిసే గుహలు
Thai 	ถ้ำระยิบระยับ
Turkish 	Parlak Mağaralar
Ukrainian Cyrillic 	блискучі Печери
Urdu 	گفاوں شاندار
Vietnamese 	Những hang động lấp lánh
Welsh 	Ogofâu sgleiniog
Yiddish 	גליטערינג קאַוועס
==References==
Category:Caves
Category:Dwarven cities
Category:Helm's Deep
Category:Mines
Category:Rohan
de:Aglarond
es:Aglarond
fr:Aglarond
it:Caverne Scintillanti
nl:De Glinsterende Groten
pl:Błyszczące Pieczary Aglarondu
ru:Агларонд