I've got a TinyOWS on localhost that works fine (both through browser GetFeature and QGIS). But my OpenLayers code fails. I've checked here:
https://gis.stackexchange.com/questions/20467/display-a-wfs-layer-with-openlayers and here : https://gis.stackexchange.com/questions/19033/how-to-add-a-simple-wfs-layer-from-geoserver-to-openlayers-map
and other similar questions to no avail. Can anyone help?

Here is the code:

        wfs = new OpenLayers.Layer.Vector("Editable Features", {
        strategies : [new OpenLayers.Strategy.Fixed(), saveStrategy],
        projection: new OpenLayers.Projection("EPSG:4326"),
        protocol: new OpenLayers.Protocol.WFS({
            version: "1.1.0",
            srsName: "EPSG:4326",
            url: "http://localhost/cgi-bin/tinyows",
            featurePrefix: "tows",
            featureNS :  "http://www.tinyows.org/",
            featureType: "trad",
            geometryName: "wkb_geometry",
            schema: "http://127.0.0.1/cgi-bin/tinyows?service=WFS&version=1.1.0&request=DescribeFeatureType&Typename=tows:trad"
        })
    }); 

    map.addLayers([gphy, wfs]);

Here is the xml according to Firebug:

    <wfs:GetFeature xmlns:wfs="http://www.opengis.net/wfs" service="WFS" version="1.1.0" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.opengis.net/wfs http://schemas.opengis.net/wfs/1.1.0/wfs.xsd" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<wfs:Query typeName="tows:trad" srsName="EPSG:4326" xmlns:tows="http://www.tinyows.org/"></wfs:Query>
</wfs:GetFeature>

Here is the post response according to firebug:

    <?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
    <ows:ExceptionReport
      xmlns='http://www.opengis.net/ows'
      xmlns:ows='http://www.opengis.net/ows'
      xmlns:xsi='http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance'
      xsi:schemaLocation='http://www.opengis.net/ows http://schemas.opengis.net/ows/1.0.0/owsExceptionReport.xsd'
      version='1.1.0' language='en'>
    <ows:Exception exceptionCode='InvalidParameterValue' locator='request'>
    <ows:ExceptionText>XML request isn't valid</ows:ExceptionText>
    </ows:Exception>
    </ows:ExceptionReport>

Here is the TinyOWS config file:

    <tinyows online_resource="http://127.0.0.1/cgi-bin/tinyows"
         schema_dir="/usr/local/tinyows/schema/">
    <pg host="127.0.0.1" user="postgres" password="****" dbname="****" port="5432"/>
    <metadata name="TinyOWS Server"
           title="TinyOWS Server - Demo Service" />
    <layer retrievable="1"
        writable="1"
        ns_prefix="tows"
        ns_uri="http://www.tinyows.org/"
        name="trad"
        title="Träd" />
    </tinyows>