Judge Holden of Blood Meridian Although the novel Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy tells the story of the child and his journey through the harshest environments, much of the The novel's action centers on Judge Holden. Judge Holden is a mystery from his very first appearance in the novel and remains so until the very end of the novel, when he is one of the few surviving characters. The kid first comes face to face with Holden in a saloon after a riot and eventually joins Holden and a band of misfit scalp hunters to roam the Mexican-American borders. Judge Holden has some historical basis as a character. The judge is mentioned in Samuel Chamberlain's My Confession, a personal account published in 1956. Chamberlain was a soldier in the war with Mexico and met Holden when he joined Glanton's gang of renegade scalp hunters. Chamberlain describes Holden as gigantic and hairless, just as Holden is described by McCarthy (Sepich 125). One of Judge Holden's most mysterious qualities is his ability to move from place to place and be in almost two places at once. As Tobin puts it, “every man in the company claims to have met this sooty-souled rascal elsewhere” (McCarthy 124). Holden's first appearance in the novel is a great example of his ability to appear in two places simultaneously. The judge manages to escape the riot in Reverend Green's tent and makes his way to a living room where he is completely dry, even though it is pouring rain outside (7-8). The judge also mysteriously appears next to the kid at the bar where the dancing bear has just been killed. He seems “little or not changed in all these years” (325). In both of these situations, Judge Holden is the cause of the chaos surrounding him. The judge single-handedly incites the riot against Reverend Green and is behind the bear massacre. These events are indicative of the entire novel in that there is constant chaos and violence wherever Judge Holden goes. Judge Holden's physical appearance looks amazing and full of contrast. Holden towers over everyone, but he appears pre-pubescent due to his complete lack of hair and small hands and feet. Much of the imagery surrounding Judge Holden depicts him in childish terms. The characteristics of the child and the judge tend to complement each other.