The Strange Other-Worldliness of Judge Holden in “Blood Meridian.”

Totally bald. Toweringly gigantic. Supernaturally strong. Demonically violent. He is a studious anthropologist and naturalist, a polyglot, an eloquent lecturer in fields as diverse as biological evolution and jurisprudence. He is an expert fiddler and nimble dancer. He is also a liar, a sadistic killer, and very possibly a rapist and murderer of young children. But just who is Judge Holden? Mortal man or supernatural being?

In Blood Meridian, Cormac McCarthy describes a lawless and godless group of men who are on a mission to cleanse the West of what they consider lesser people. They wander the desert leaving a trail of dead and mutilated corpses in their wake. The emptiness and ruthlessness of their hearts is reflected in the harsh and unforgiving landscape. McCarthy uses reoccurring themes of war, religion, and dance to paint a graphic picture of the savageness of life in the West. As men ordained on a mission, Glanton’s Gang is paid to seek out the scalps of Apaches and return them to the Mexican town of Chihuahua City. The gang quickly moves beyond the killing of Indians to include Mexicans, Americans, and whoever else crosses their path. The men are killing on their own accord. The excessive killing at first seems to be driven by greed. The senselessness of the deaths leads to the conclusion these men kill for power…