Wagner’s Das Rheingold was first performed on 22 September 1869 at the court theater in Munich. In the second scene, Wotan wants to get out of paying the giants for Valhalla. The giant Fasolt warns him to keep faith with contracts. Then he tells him why: Was du bist, bist du nur durch Verträge (What you are, you are only through contracts). Wotan cannot break the agreement without damaging the basis of his own power.