What does "bring out your dead" mean?

Question

I've seen it in many movies and shows and it's always a typical beggar with a sign and ringing a bell. But what's it supposed to mean?

Answer 1

During the plague carts would collect the dead for mass burials.

Answer 2

This saying became most popular when the movie "Monty Pythons Quest for the Holly Grail" came out. Its a brittish comedy but that particular part protrays the fact that in the old days when the plagues were devestating areas, they used to have someone that would go through the town collecting the dead (even near dead) to take them away from the other people. This was done so that plague would not spread as fast and often. They would take the dead bodies away from the town and burry them as to save the rest of the people in the area.

Answer 3

Well back in the old days, there wasn't a set system in place for when people died. Even more so in mid-evil times (where Im thinking the movies took place you are talking about) a lot of people were dying all the time. So a man would come by regularly to shuttle out the towns dead citizens and dispose of them to cut down on disease/smell/bad vibes...

He'd holler out bring out your dead, and so there you have it, hope that helps

Answer 4

during the time of the plagues, carts used to go around and people would bring the dead out from their homes to put on the cart, which would then take the dead to a mass grave. The call of "bring out your dead" meant that the cart was making its rounds and to bring out the deceased,

Answer 5

"Bring out your dead" was the call to load up dead people on the plague carts to be dumped into a large burning pile. Burning plague related corpses it was believed was the best way to stop the spreading of the disease.

Answer 6

I believe it was said when there were plagues going on. Wagons would go by and the people running them would say it so everyone inside knew to bring out their dead to put on the wagon to go to a graveyard.

Answer 7

I Be in the trap is an easier way to look at it. A trap is not a trap house. A trap is her Hood. A trap house is where drugs are sold. I have no idea where some people got their answers but I can assure you that 95% of them are way off.

Answer 8

its from that movie, monty python and the holy grail, in plague times, bring out the dead people in your house, because it was a whole lot.

Answer 9

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also says it in "The Stand," playing a modern-day bell-ringing, berobed soothsayer portending the end-times.

Answer 10

it means what it says...
it's from Monty Python and the Holy Grail

from time of the plague...they had to bring out the dead to dispose of them to prevent the spread of disease.......