Ava, German poet (born 1060)

The poet Ava, also known as Frau Ava, Ava of Göttweig or Ava of Melk, was the first named female writer in any genre in the German language. She is the author of five poems which focus on Christian themes of salvation and the second coming of Christ. Her work on the lives of John the Baptist and Jesus "has been praised as the first German epic". Her simple rhyming couplets made complex biblical teachings accessible in the vernacular.