Ava was a Benedictine nun and hermit who lived in Lower Austria during the 11th and 12th centuries. As the first named female author in the German language, she produced five poems focused on Christian theology. Her literary contributions, which include works on the lives of Jesus and John the Baptist, are often regarded as the earliest German epic. After the death of her husband, she likely lived as an enclosed anchorite near Göttweig or Melk Abbey, leaving a significant theological legacy through her use of the vernacular.