From the beginning of time to not so long ago, breasts were viewed as a source of sustenance for babies and toddlers. The thought of them being sexual in many cultures is unheard of. So why has western society allowed itself to become so perverse when it comes to breasts, sexuality and breastfeeding? On Wikipedia the history of the breast is described in Art History below: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breast)
Many female deities representing love and fertility were associated with breasts and breast milk. Figures of the Phoenician goddess Astarte were represented as pillars studded with breasts. Isis, an Egyptian goddess who represented, among many other things, ideal motherhood, was often portrayed as suckling pharaohs, thereby confirming their divine status as rulers. Even certain male deities representing regeneration and fertility were occasionally depicted with breast-like appendices, such as the river god Hapy who was considered to be responsible for the annual overflowing of the Nile. Female breasts were also prominent in the Minoan civilization in the form of the famous Snake Goddess statuettes. In Ancient Greece there were several cults worshipping the “Kourotrophos”, the suckling mother, represented by goddesses such as Gaia, Hera and Artemis.
During the middle of the first millennium BC, Greek culture experienced a gradual change in the perception of female breasts. Women in art were covered in clothing from the neck down. There were exceptions: Aphrodite, the goddess of love, was more frequently portrayed fully nude, though in postures that were intended to portray shyness or modesty.
So it seems as though breasts were seen as both a sign of fertility, sustenance as well as sexuality. The difference I believe is that there were primarily seen as a form of sustenance and not looked down upon. Hopefully with social media working so fast and in such a positive way, the BFI (Baby Friendly Initiative (http://www.bfiontario.ca/ or http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/bfhi/en/) will change the way society views breastfeeding, and make it the norm for all mothers and babies.
I welcome any comments and feedback you may have on this or any other topic I have posted.
