The spikes on the crown of the Statue of Liberty are called rays and they represent the seven seas AND the seven continents of the world.
the 7 seas and 7 continents of the world
the seven seas and/or seven continents!
1) "The statue is of a woman standing upright, dressed in a robe and a seven point spiked crown representing the seven seas and continents, holding a stone tablet close to her body in her left hand and a flaming torch high in her right hand."
"Symbolism
The broken shackles lying at Lady Liberty's feet signify liberation from oppression and tyranny. The United States Information Agency (USIA) states that the seven spikes in the crown represent the seven seas and seven continents. As the statue's name indicates, the torch signifies enlightenment. The tablet in her hand shows the date of the nation's birth (July 4, 1776).
Since 1903, the statue has been associated with Emma Lazarus's poem "The New Colossus" and has acquired a new meaning as a symbol of welcome to immigrants."
Source and further information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Liberty
2) "7 Spikes in the Crown represent:
- Either Seven Seas:
Arctic, Antarctic, North & South Atlantic, North & South Pacific, Indian.
- Or Seven Continents:
North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Antarctica, Australia"
Source and further information:
http://www.endex.com/gf/buildings/liberty/libertyfacts.htm
3) "Bartholdi incorporated many symbolic features to his colossus. There are 25 windows in the crown representing gemstones found on the earth and the heaven's rays shining over the world. The seven rays of the Statue's crown represent the seven seas and continents of the world. The tablet which the Statue holds in her left hand reads (in Roman numerals) "July 4th, 1776." the date of American Independence."
Source and further information:
http://www.nps.gov/stli/historyculture/history-continued.htm
In other points of view people think it doesn't represent the seven seas and seven continents of the world, according to the Web sites of the National Park Service and the Statue of Liberty Club. "That's not true," says Barry Moreno, author of
The Statue of Liberty Encyclopedia and the park's official librarian. The spikes are sun rays, he says, and the circle is "simply a halo or what in art is called a nimbus, showing she is divine." He adds that the Web site needs to be changed.
It represents the seven continents of the world.
Read more:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_do_the_seven_spikes_on_the_Statue_of_Liberty's_crown_represent#ixzz1RMEC2ixG