How many human mentioned in twelve days of Christmas?

Answer 1

I've heard several different versions of the song, mixing up which gifts were given on which days. The version with which I'm most familiar includes twelve drummers, eleven pipers, ten lords, nine ladies and eight maids, totaling 50 humans mentioned. But that's just on the twelfth day. If, for example, eight different maids a-milking were given on each of the ninth through twelfth days, the total would be...

12 + 2 * 11 + 3 * 10 + 9 * 4 + 8 * 5

= 12 + 22 + 30 + 36 + 40

= 140

That's a lot of people to be giving as gifts. I hope they went willingly. ;)