Nine ships of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Penelope,

after the faithful wife Penelope of Greek mythology.

 

The ships were named after the mythological character "Penelope".  As we all know Penelope was the pretty, precious and passionate wife of Ulysses, who shot off to fight all sorts of wars, including the siege of Troy, leaving poor Penelope to her own devices.  He was gone some 20 years, during which time hopeful lovers at their family home besieged Penny at Ithaca, all seeking her favours.  "Penny, Penny, you would be glorious to lie with on a cold winters night". To which she would reply,  "Never end a sentence with a proposition", and carry on with her tapestry, which she was making for her Father-in-law, careful not to prick her finger.  After all who would want a bloody tapestry.

 

She was only doing the tapestry because in those mythical days knitting hadn't been invented.  She had to fill in her time somehow.  Besides, she was a pleasant natured lady, and to avoid hurting the male Grecian ego, she promised each suitor that she'd give him an answer when she had finished the tapestry.  They were thick enough to be satisfied with this.

Needless to say, each night Penny un picked the days work she had done on the tapestry, and started again the next day. - 100% for perseverance.  Meanwhile, Ulysses who was up to his neck in blood and guts and such like, worrying him self-sick about Penelope.  Was she being faithful, was she keeping herself for him.  He needn't have panicked.  There she was, passionately jabbing away at her tapestry by day, and ripping it to bits and thinking of her Uly by night, her chastity intact.  However, the besotted suitors cottoned on to our Penny and began to lean on her a bit heavy, so that she was forced to complete her work a bit pronto.

 

Ulysses, after many horrendous escapades arrived back home in the nick of time.  He was disguised as a beggar, and took no time at all to put the by-now nasty tempered suitors in their places.  Penny was naturally a bit grateful but failed to recognise this messy looking beggar as her husband; after all he'd been gone 20 years or more sorting out other people's problems.  However, we have it on good authority that after he had given Penny proof of his identity, she received him! Whatever that means.  But I'm sure the Greeks have a word for it

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