Editing Das Rheingold (section)

===Scene 2===
[[File:Walhalla (1896) by Max Brückner.jpg|thumb|Wotan's fortress of Valhalla (Brückner, 1896)]]
[[File:Ring11.jpg|thumb|upright| Alberich and the subjugated [[Nibelung]] [[dwarf (folklore)|dwarfs]] (illustration by [[Arthur Rackham]], 1910)]]
[[Odin|Wotan]], ruler of [[Æsir|the gods]], is asleep on a mountaintop, with a magnificent castle behind him. His wife, [[Frigg|Fricka]], wakes Wotan, who salutes their new home. Fricka reminds him of his promise to the giants Fasolt and [[Fáfnir|Fafner]], who built the castle, that he would give them Fricka's sister [[Freyja|Freia]], the goddess of youth and beauty, as payment. Fricka is worried for her sister, but Wotan trusts that [[Loki|Loge]], the cunning demigod of fire, will find an alternative payment.

Freia enters in a panic, followed by Fasolt and Fafner. Fasolt demands that Freia be given up. He points out that Wotan's authority is sustained by the treaties carved into his spear, including his contract with the giants, which Wotan therefore cannot violate. [[Thor|Donner]], god of thunder, and [[Freyr|Froh]], god of sunshine, arrive to defend Freia, but Wotan cannot permit the use of force to break the agreement. Hoping that Loge will arrive with the alternative payment he has promised, Wotan tries to stall.

When Loge arrives, his initial report is discouraging: nothing is more valuable to men than love, so there is apparently no possible alternative payment besides Freia. Loge was able to find only one instance where someone willingly gave up love for something else: Alberich the Nibelung has renounced love, stolen the Rhine gold, and made a powerful magic ring out of it. A discussion of the ring and its powers ensues, and everyone finds good reasons for wanting to own it. Fafner makes a counter-offer: the giants will accept the Nibelung's treasure in payment, instead of Freia. When Wotan tries to haggle, the giants depart, taking Freia with them as hostage and threatening to keep her forever unless the gods ransom her by obtaining and giving them the Nibelung's gold by the end of the day.

Freia's [[golden apple]]s had kept the gods eternally young, but in her absence they begin to age and weaken. In order to redeem Freia, Wotan resolves to travel with Loge to Alberich's subterranean kingdom to obtain the gold.

'''Orchestral interlude''' – '''''Abstieg nach Nibelheim''''' (''Descent into Nibelheim'')