Equivalent terms in English and Latin are "the Scanian Provinces" and "Terrae Scaniae" respectively.

[8] The modern use of the denomination as a short form for De skånska landskapen ("The Scanian provinces"), for the combined area of the provinces of Blekinge, Halland and Scania, was launched by the Swedish historian and Scandinavist Martin Weibull (1835-1902) in Samlingar till Skånes historia (Föreningen för Skånes Fornminnen och Historia.

published 1868-73 in six volumes) in order to illuminate the common Danish history of Scania, Blekinge, and Halland.

These differed from the provincial thing areas in that they were not local communities joined under a governing assembly but top-down regional divisions established to ensure royal authority.

These medieval Danish hundreds were used to implement military obligations and to expedite the collection of renders due to the king in the provinces.

The suggestions for changes submitted by the king had to be approved by the three Things before being passed into law in the Danish state.

Skåneland became the site of harsh fighting, especially in the 16th, 17th and 18th century, as Denmark and Sweden confronted each other for control of the Baltic.

[28][29][30][31][32] Sweden intervened in the Danish civil war known as the Count's Feud (1534–1536), launching a highly destructive invasion of Skåneland as the ally of later king Christian III, who upon his coronation introduced Protestantism to the provinces.

As an example, Moberg compares the history texts he grew up with in Sweden which represented the Swedish soldier as ever pure and honorable to a letter written by Gustavus Adolphus celebrating the 24 Scanian parishes he had helped level by fire, with the troops encouraged to rape and murder the population at will, behavior that may well have been mirrored equally on the Danish side.

[35] [36] The population initially opposed the Swedish reforms, as can be ascertained from church records and court transcripts.

The Swedes did encounter civil revolts in many areas, including the Göinge district, in dense forest regions of northern Scania.

The Swedish authorities resorted to extreme measures against the 17th-century rebels who were described as snapphanar, a term used for raiding enemy soldiers or bandits.

[37] The transformation of age-old customs, commerce and administration to the Swedish model could not be effected quickly or easily.

Led by Jens Pedersen Kofoed (1628-1691) and Poul Anker (1629-1697) the rebellion formed in the town of Hasle, north of the largest city, Rønne.

The Swedish fled the island as a result of the confusion and fear amongst the conscripts; Jens Kofoed installed an intermediate rule and sent a message to King Frederick III of Denmark that Bornholm had liberated itself, and wished to return to Danish rule.

The Swedish army units also arrested 395 people of which 2 were beheaded at Stortorget square in Malmö at 4 November 1811.

It was during Ascheberg's time in office that the stricter policy of Swedification was initiated, as a reaction to the threats of war and possible Danish liberation.

However, a Governor Generalship was reinstated in the province of Scania during the Napoleonic War, when Johan Christopher Toll (1743–1817) became the last Governor-General in the region, a post he held 1801–09.

In reaction, a movement began in the late 20th century to revive awareness of the history and culture of Skåneland.