ABSTRACT
The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were a period of fierce rivalry, often resulting in open warfare, between Denmark and Sweden, with both countries striving to become the leading power of the North. This rivalry gave rise to a substantial polemical literature between the two countries. Historical writing was a useful tool in this literary battle, and this chapter deals with the relation between the political rivalry and the development of Danish historical scholarship. It focuses on the dispute over Scania in two interrelated fields of historical studies, namely, theories of prehistory and the study of runes. Like other European countries at the time, the Danish and Swedish monarchies were eager to establish a long national history. From the point of view of historical scholarship, the influence of polemics on Danish views of prehistory was not a positive one, as it encouraged unfounded theories and even forgeries.
