Gudolf av Blakstad

Gudolf of Blakkasteads (C. 1180-1226) was a Norwegian captain, steward and later rebel leader and guardian to Sigurd Ribbung. He is mentioned in 1218 as a former captain of the Bagler who transferred his allegiance to king Haakon IV of Norway (along with Arnbjorn Johnson, Simon Kine, and Endrid Bookling. During King Haakon's reassigning of Stewardships after the war Gudolf is mentioned to have previously been a Steward but was not given a new stewardship on account of having a bad reputation with the freemen of the stewardship he had formerly administered.

After receiving no honors from the king Gudolf was upset and decided to send his son Eilif Crown along with his henchmen Eric Scrap and John the Talker III to Halland to seek out Sigurd Ribbung. Sigurd was found and Gudolf seems to have taken the boy under his guardianship because he immediately became his head councilor. Despite the sneak attack Ivar Outwick escape in boat. Skule Bårdsson discovered which farm Gudolf was staying at (a monks farm at Foss) and encircled it proceeding to attack it; incredibly Gudolf was able to escape the encirclement and get away.

Following the surrender of the Ribbalds by Sigurd Ribbung to Skule Bårdsson Gudolf retired to his stronghold and farm in 1226. While Gudolf had been part of the Ribbalds he had caused a lot of mischief in the area in which he lived and he had beaten and stolen from a farmer called Otryg.

Gudolf is clearly depicted as a villain; his poor treatment of freemen and farmers, his theft and violence, and his treachery. Despite the accounts being written from the perspective of the successors to Haakon IV of Norway many leaders of rebels are not depicted nearly as villainous as Gudolf. For example Skule Bardsson and Sigurd Ribbung are depicted in a far more positive light. This lends credibility to the records of his villainy. Even his name "Gudolf Black y" implies his villainous nature.