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As is known, there is perhaps less information on Celtic pagan traditions, especially Continental but even Brythonic compared to the Gaelic, than on Germanic/Norse paganism or the Greco-Roman pagan world. My question is in regards to comparative Indo-European mythology and religion, which group is more useful in learning about the Celts, Latin/Italic paganism or Germanic?
It seems in some strange way the Celts are perhaps the intermediary between the two since its generally accepted that there was once a "Proto-Italo-Celtic" period and the two are linguistically closer, connected by genetics (R1b U152), etc. On the other hand it seems that the Celts and Germans were much more closer in their customs, traditions, way of life, etc. than either were to the Latins or Greco-Romans as the latter often had trouble telling them apart.
So obviously both are useful, but is there some particular way to look at commonalities between all three (pointing to a common Western Indo-European origin) but also see specific connections shared by say the Italics and Celts to point to their own common past vis a vis the Germanics?
Or framed differently, anyone know any good books or works on continental Celtic, Gaulish, and early Italic/Latin/Roman paganism with emphasis on common Indo-European past?
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