Editing Dagger (section)

==Cultural symbolism==
The dagger is symbolically ambiguous. For some cultures and military organizations, the dagger symbolizes courage and daring in combat.<ref>{{cite book |title =The illustrated encyclopedia of military insignia of the 20th century: a comprehensive A-Z guide to the badges, patches, and embellishments of the world's armed forces |author =Guido Rosignoli |publisher =Stanley Paul |year=1987 |page=44 |isbn = 978-0-09-172670-6 }}</ref> 

However, daggers may be associated with deception or treachery due to the ease of concealment and the surprise the user could inflict upon an unsuspecting victim. Indeed, many [[assassinations]] have been carried out with the use of a dagger, including that of [[Julius Caesar]].<ref>{{cite book|title =The History That Was Never Spoken |author =David Gray |publisher =Lulu|year=2006|page=87|isbn = 978-1-4116-1703-2 }}</ref> A [[cloak and dagger]] attack is one in which a deceitful, traitorous, or concealed enemy attacks a person.<ref>{{Cite book |last1 = Dickens |first1 = Charles |title = Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of 'Eighty |year = 1841 |publisher = Chapman & Hall |location = London |isbn = 0-14-043728-2 |pages = 203}}</ref> Some have noted a [[phallic]] association between daggers and the succession of royal dynasties in British literature.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pryke |first1=Stuart |title=Ready to Teach: Macbeth: A compendium of subject knowledge, resources and pedagogy |date=23 October 2020 |publisher=John Catt Educational |isbn=978-1-913808-42-6 |page=145 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SIM7EAAAQBAJ&pg=PT145 |language=ar}}</ref>

In European artwork, daggers were sometimes associated with [[Hecate]], the Ancient Greek goddess of [[witchcraft]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Oskar Seyffert |title=A Dictionary of Classical Antiquities: Mythology, Religion, Literature and Art |url=https://archive.org/details/b3135841x/page/270/mode/2up?view=theater |publisher=[[William Swan Sonnenschein]] |edition=6 |date=1901 |page=271 |access-date=2022-01-01}}</ref>

The social stigma of the dagger originates in its periodic use in the commission of disreputable and murderous attacks, from the 44 BC assassination of Julius Caesar to the use of the stiletto dagger by the [[Black Hand (extortion)|Black Hand]] of early 20th century America.<ref>Watkins, John, ''The Big Stunts of Great Detectives: The Scrapbook'', Vol. 4, No. 6, New York: Frank A. Munsey (December 1907), p. 1098: "The ''Black Daggers'', with their double-edged blades signaling primary use as a fighting knife, became associated with offensive attacks made for purposes of killing."</ref> Consequently, it developed a public association with surprise assaults by criminals and murderers intent on stabbing unsuspecting victims.<ref name="Daggers and Bayonets">{{cite book |last1=Thompson |first1=Logan |title=Daggers and Bayonets |url=https://archive.org/details/daggersbayonetsh00thom |url-access=limited |date=1999 |publisher=Spellmount ltd. |location=United Kingdom |page=[https://archive.org/details/daggersbayonetsh00thom/page/n57 54] |isbn=9781862270275}}</ref> To this day, criminal codes of many nations and some US states specifically ban the carrying of the dagger as a prohibited weapon.<ref name=CAL/>