‘Gums of Glutinous Heat’ and Euripides' Medea

Yet Once More, “Gumms of Glutenous Heat”

“…Why, then, should we not take the word to mean primarily what it normally meant? Among the interpretations I have found, only Camé and Matthew Steggle identify the material substance as tree gum.…”

“…J. Sokol, as a symbol of menarche, or, “if actual fluids are supposed,” then menses (323n48); John Leonard, rejecting the idea that the Lady responds sexually, but entertaining the idea of “Comus's spillages,” or maybe just animal glue, which was applied hot (130); Debora Shuger, as analogue for Milton's nocturnal emissions (1‐3); James W. Broaddus, as vaginal secretions (passim); William Shullenberger, as “seminal” (84); Ronald Corthell, as possibly “emissions from Comus” (125n5). Nonsexual interpretations of the gums include Archer, as birdlime (99); Camé, as tree gum (51); Margaret Hoffman Kale, as Dionysian “sap” or life‐force (88); Matthew Steggle, as a “contact poison” like Medea's, based on tree gums (329); Beth Bradburn, as a nonsexual personal exudate representing the Lady's protective virtue (30‐31); and Leonard's alternate suggestion of hot animal glue.…”