[Reno McCoy]

This year I'm doing my first real haunt (moving from the front porch and into the garage). The plan is to create a witch's cave, with me dressed as an witch/old hag. I've been fine with the idea of dressing as a witch because I didn't plan on having a real speaking role. Now, however, I've come up some ideas to make for interactivity for the kids. As such, if I go through with that, I'll need to talk. As a male, I don't think I can pull off a witch's voice all night.

Any costume ideas on how I can pull off the idea of a witch's cave theme but dressed as...what? Would I simply take the same look, but instead of a witch's mask, use some sort of old, nasty looking man mask?

 

[Palladino]

Interesting question! Love the witch cave idea - very cool.

Historically, I suspect you could count the number of male witches on one hand. That said, if I were costuming a male witch, I would do a tunic/cloak look and a mask with a long, hooked, warty nose. You could probably get away with a female witch mask since the costume and voice would speak to the male gender. Otherwise, an old man mask as you suggested would work if it had the beforementioned witch nose. Otherwise you're going to look like a wizard.

 

[RCIAG]

FTR, male witches aren't called male witches they're called "warlocks." If you google a warlock costume it's mostly hooded cloaks, dark stuff. Wizards tend to be more Gandalf-like, old man, beard, robe, etc. Sometimes they're used interchangeably but I think they have different meanings.

Let's see what google says.....

http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-the-difference-between-a-warlock-and-a-wizard.htm

Oh cripes. Whatevs! Neither are nearly as cool or varied a costume as a witch.

Have you heard the Swamp Hag prop that's out there? She doesn't have a super feminine voice & most stereotypical witches (green face, the hag, etc.) aren't exactly girly, so unless you sound like Barry White you could pull off a witchy voice.

 

[Reno McCoy]

Yeah, I've always imagined warlocks to be dressed more like, I don't know, Jedi Knights. When you conjure an image of a witch, she's bent and crooked and ugly. A warlock, in my head, is much less scary.

Maybe I'm over complicating things. I've got my eye on a bald, old hag/witch mask that I can use with some sort of hood and tattered clothes. That will help me steer away from the pointy hat variety of witch, which in turn my allow me to get away with a more masculine voice. Maybe I can take up smoking a few days before Halloween to help with the effect.

 

[RCIAG]

Here's the Swamp Hag prop that's out this year. Not exactly the ideal of feminine pulchritude!

 

[Rashnu2010]

Here is a pic of an undead warlock , would make an awesome costume

 

[UnOrthodOx]

Bonus points if you ask the 5 questions.

You don't need to NAME the costume. Just be a freaky scary old dude. Seer, Sorcerer, wizard, whatever, who cares what name it is?

 

[UnOrthodOx]

http://vikings.history.co.uk/?person=the-seer

 

[ichasiris]

Okay, not to get political here, but warlock is actually a derogatory term for a male witch in terms of a Wicca stance. The proper term for a male witch would be more along the lines of a wizard.

However, if you do want to go more along the Christianized evil male witch route, you would be considered a warlock since it is an early term developed to pin on someone they considered a bad person performing bad magical deeds.

ANYWAY, I would get a creepy cloak and put a bunch of creepy cloth on it and get a cane or wizards staff and dry ice for a cauldron! Use red and green lip liner around the eyes and get a gross mole to put on with spirit gum. I may be going overboard here....

 

[diajoh]

Perhaps with your long, lank, hair you should add a huge, long, beard that is filthy, tangled, and perhaps has leaves, twigs and maybe insects in it? You're living in a cave, after all.

 

[Reno McCoy]

I'm wondering if the theme would get lost if I wasn't dressed as a more recognizable witch. I've got a cauldron and plan to have a book of spells, some bottles of potions, a black cat, etc. Would those elements lose a bit of their mystique if I'm dressed as anything other than a witch?

 

[diajoh]

Witch is acceptable for a male. Look up the etymology or just google male witch. Just be male. You won't lose any mystique. You just have to look wise and scary, and ask the kiddies something like "You don't really think the only witches are female, do you?" (might be nice if this were accompanied by a scary sound/visual effect, LOL). It's already been pointed out that warlock means betrayer/oathbreaker.
The theme will not get lost. Kids are a lot more flexible and accepting than grownups. They will probably recognize you as a witch (are you a boy witch?). And whether they call you wizard, warlock, witch, conjuror, sorcerer ... who cares? You are focusing on the wrong thing. It is a non-existant problem, so don't stress any longer. Just get all the elements in place, dress however you want, and don't try to be female. They'll get it.

 

[UnOrthodOx]

I'm wondering if the theme would get lost if I wasn't dressed as a more recognizable witch. I've got a cauldron and plan to have a book of spells, some bottles of potions, a black cat, etc. Would those elements lose a bit of their mystique if I'm dressed as anything other than a witch?

One thing I've learned over the years is that half the people won't get the theme anyway, or will interpret it as something so far our of the box you're thinking in it's hilarious. Make the theme for YOU. Having a guide in your mind will help the thing look cohesive and make sense, even if it's interpreted differently by others.

For instance, we did a black plague them a couple years back, and I was out front in a plague doctor mask, we had a period-correct transi tomb blowing out low lying fog miasma as was the theory at the time as well. People pulled Star Wars, Aliens and Vampires as what they thought the theme was. Surprisingly more kids got the plague concept than adults.

 

[kittyvibe]

I turned a Gemmy Talking Life Size Skeleton into a female witch. If he is activated to talk, his voice is super deep and it just makes the new version of him that much creepier IMO and also a bit hilarious. If I were planning it and a male, I would go ahead and dress as a woman witch anyway, with super saggy bewbs (for some reason thats even better) and just go with it.

Here "He" is;

 

[vampyrespro]

I can only second what unorthodox said, people see what they want. Dress for yourself.
However, I can add something from personal experience: last year I dressed as a hanged warlock (male witch) and most people who commented on the costume got the idea right away. Trust me, none of the mystique is lost.

 

[Wolfman]

Don't overthink this. You set up the scene properly, the guests will be too freaked to even consider "Gender". I love traditional stuff on Halloween! Anyway, what could be scarier than a TRANSVESTITE WITCH?!

 

[Palladino]

The term for a male witch is still 'witch'. 'Warlock' is a word popularized on the old t.v. series 'Bewitched'.

 

[PoCoHauntGal]

I think you could carry off the male witch look pretty easily. For a costume, dark shirt and pants, tall dark boots and a long dark cape. A plain witch's hat and a wooden staff decorated more earthly in accessories. Your cauldron, potions, spells etc will simply reinforce the witch. Here's a couple of examples:



Of course if you want to keep it really simple, you could take the less is more approach to your costume as seen below and my new favorite male witch costume ... wonder where he keeps his wand?