Gendered stereotype of the male witch and selected children's film and fiction

Children’s film and fiction often portray a witch as either an evil hag or an incompetent older woman yet when the male witch is within the narrative, he
is named Sorcerer or Wizard, suggesting therefore that (unlike the hag) age and gender is not a factor when performing witchcraft. Moreover, the male
witch identity is introduced from the position of empowerment and competency rather than prejudice. Witch identities are gendered, and the male witch is underappreciated and overlooked by the historical identity of the female witch. This chapter analyses how the male witch is presented in selected children’s film and fiction through the frameworks of Hegemonic, Hybrid, and Mosaic Masculinity. Hegemonic Masculinity demonstrates the toxic performance of the male witch, indicating to readers and audiences that to be male and a witch, a heterosexual man must be cruel and manipulative. Hybrid Masculinities relate to some patriarchal behaviours such as violent
outbursts, that also blend with more empathetic and emotional behaviours. Mosaic Masculinity presents the male witch in a way that is fluid and disrupts the binary of Hegemonic and Hybrid Masculinity. This chapter acknowledges the absence of presence of the male witch and
encourages a more authentic representation of the male witch that is akin to thilose who practice witchcraft. There are non-toxic examples of masculinity that challenge the potential for stereotyping, hence there is a need for a better
representation of what it means to be a witch within popular culture.