Ava

The poet Ava (c. 1060 – 7 February 1127), 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.

Life

Little is known about the life of Ava beyond her work and some references to her identity as an anchorite (anchoress). It is known that she was married and bore two sons who are mentioned in the afterword of her poem posthumously named Das Jüngste Gericht (The Last Judgement). Through this afterword we also learn that one of Ava's sons died within her lifetime, though the age at which he died and the cause of death are not stated.

Due to her vast knowledge of scripture, most scholars identify Ava the poet with a certain Ava whose death is recorded in a number of monasteries in Austria.