Christoll Terrien
Christoll (Christopher) Terrien, was born about 1808 in An Oriant (Lorient), Brittany, France. Christoll and his wife Adelaide Marie. He had worked as Censeur des Studes in the Imperial Lyceess of Rennes, Rheims and Clermont-Ferrand, University of France. They were Breton French refugees, who came to England in 1844. He was a language teachers, and spoke English, Breton, French, German and Italian. They lived for many years at Shrewsbury, where they taught French at Shrewsbury School. Christoll also worked as an assistant to Prince Louis-Lucien Bonaparte, who was interested in European languages. In 1862 and 1906 he spoke to the Welsh National Eisteddfod in Breton and French.
Translations
Christoll Terrien translated into his Gwenedeg dialect also called the Vannes or Vanneteuse or Vannetais dialect of Breton (Breton de Vannes), spoken in Morbihan in southern Lower Brittany (Basse Bretagne).
Breton Gospel of Matthew
Christoll Terrien translated the Breton Gospel of Matthew into his Gwenedeg dialect. It was published in London as Aviel revé St. Maheu troeit é Brehonec Guénet dré Christoll Terrien for Prince Louis-Lucien Bonaparte. (Impensis Ludovici Luciani Bonaparte.) The French title was L’ Évangile selon St. Matthieu, Traduit en Breton de Vannes. It was published in London 1857.
Song of Solomon
Christoll Terrien also translated Breton liturgical selections for Liherieu hag Avieleu: or the Catholic Epistles and Gospels for the day up to Ascension, published in 1858; and the Song of Solomon into 2 dialects of Breton for the Celtic Hexapla, along with Welsh, Irish, Scots Gaelic, and Manx published in 1858.
Publication
250 copies of each were printed by George Barclay of 28 Castle Street, Leicester Square in London. Each verse was on a separate line, and there were no footnotes nor cross-references.
Digital Edition
This Breton Gospel of Matthew was digitised with the help of MissionAssist in 2022. The Breton Song of Solomon in Vannes dialect was digitised with the help of MissionAssist in 2025.
