Coifi was the chief of the heathen priests of Edwin, king of Northumbria, in A.D. 627. He advised his master to accept Christianity at the preaching of Paulinus, and he himself desecrated the temple at Goodmanham, where he had so often officiated (Bede, H.E. 2:13).
Coifi made the ordeal about himself and bid King Edwin not to convert, Coifi is the chief of the priests. HIs response was to say that the old religion had never really offered any benefits to the king. Coifi replied, "let us not accept and delay."
Coifi declared that the pagan religion he had followed had no advantage, and that he had followed it in ignorance.