What a concise and interesting answer, thank you. I thought it might have signified an empowering force. That somehow the dagger and, or the wielder would be aided/strengthened by the power or characteristics of, in this case, the snake.
It is an interesting that 'The Church' denounced/demonised the iconography relating to snakes.... perhaps this symbolism is strongly embedded in man's psyche and a threat to Christianity? The obvious sexual connotations of the snake seem relevant to the armlet. If the snake is viewed as a conduit/ messenger between two realms then the penis could also, and I'll explain my reasoning. The penis acts as a conduit between the male (life) force and the female, from this 'communication' life can spring forth whence there was none. The realms of the 'non living' to the living, so to speak I am wondering whether the fact that the male figure is genital-less is that the penis is viewed as a separate entity, the snake, is the penis, is the conduit.
And before anyone adds to this thread Yeah,..... I know that swords, spears, daggers are phallic symbols
