[Findegil]

Posted by Aiwendil:

I don't know that it matters, but I don't think this can have been his motivation for moving the ford from its Q30 position. The placing of Sarn Athrad south of the confluence, as in Q30, presents no problem for the story of the battle of the Folk of Haleth and the Orcs, since the Halethrim took refuge on the north side of the confluence.

My asumption that the movement of the ford was necessary is based on the discription of the ford in TN. My feeling is that such a ford builded by isles of shingels with channels of not to deep water between them would be builded so near to a conflunece that it would make both rivers passable. But that is clearly only my oppinion and not a fact.

Posted by Aiwendil:

Do we know for certain that the Edain came through that pass?

At least we know that they came over the mountains. From HoME XI; The Later Quenta Silmarillion; 14 Of the Coming of Men into the West:

§1 ... But he [Felagund] wearied of the chase and passed on alone towards the Mountains of Ered-lindon that he saw shining afar; and taking the Dwarfe-road he crossed Gelion at the Ford of Sarn-athrad, and turining south over the upper streams of Ascar, he came into the north of Ossiriand.
§2 In a valley among the foothills of the Mountains, below the springs of Thalos, he saw lights in the evening, ...
§4 Now these were a part of the kindered and following of Bëor the Old, as he was afterwards called, a chieftain among Men. After many lives of Wandering out of the East he had led them at last over the Mountains, ...
...
§10 But Felagund learned from Bëor that there were many other Men of like mind who were also journeying westward. 'Others of my own kin have crossed the Mountains,' he said, 'and they are wandering not far away: and the Haladin, a people that speak the same tongue as we, are still in the valleys on the eastern slopes, awaiting tidings before they venture further. There are aslo Men of different speech, with whom we have had dealings at times. They were before us in the westward march, but we passed them; for they are a numerous people, and yet keep together and move slowly, being all ruled by one chieftain whom they call Marach.'
...
§13 Soon after the departure of Felagund the other Men of whom Bëor had spoken came alos into Beleriand. First came the Haladin; but meeting the unfriendship of the Nandor they turned north and dwelt in Radhrost, in the country of Caranthir ... The next year, however Marach led his people over the Mountains; and they were a tall and warlike folk, and they marched in ordered companies; and the Green-elves hid themselves and did not waylay them. And Marach hearing that the people of Bëor were dwelling in a green and fertil land, came down the Dwarf-road and settled his people in the country to the south and east of the dwellings of Baran son of Bëor.

Here at least it is clearly stated that the Folk of Bëor and Marach crossed the Mountains. And the Folk of Haleth "turned north", which means they had wandered form east to west so far and not from south to north through Ossirand.
Also we learn that the Ascar cold be crossed at least in its upper course. It is not stated but possible that in his southward movment Finrod still followed the Dwarf-road. A posible southward movment of the Edain after crossing the Mountian at the pass about Dolmed is possible but does not seem to be likley: The landscape of southern Thargelion seemd to be very similar to that of northern Ossiriand (as is to be expected), thus I can't find any good reason why all the Edain if they had used a pass that led them into Thargelion would have crossed Ascar. It is much more likley that they used a pass that led them down into Ossirand. It is trure that we do not know that they used the pass near Dolmed to which the Dwarf-road led. All I can bring forward against a second pass further south are only week arguments. Thus my assumption that they used the pass south of Dolmed "rests in the last resort on nothing more definte than the sound principle that where all is uncertain one's hypothesis must be simplified as fare as possible."(JRR Tolkien in "The Freswæl: Finn and Hengest)

Posted by Aiwendil:

But one could make a coherent story out of things without supposing any "slips of the pen" - if Tolkien in fact changed his mind in "Maeglin" and returned Sarn Athrad to Gelion.

I must say that I have no answer to this. That means it is possible. But I find it unlikley, which is only based on my feeling.

Posted by Aiwendil:

It would seem to me very strange for us to use "Athrad Daer", which occurs only as a replacement for Sarn Athrad, for the ford over Gelion, and too retain "Sarn Athrad" for the ford over Ascar. For this was certainly not Tolkien's intention when he wrote "Athrad Daer". On the other hand, it also seems wrong for us to now place the battle, which in every text occurs at Sarn Athrad, at an unnamed ford over Ascar.

Is it really so strange? Was not the change of Ascar to Flend in Q30 a bit of simillar kind?

Respectfully
Findegil