The Phoenix and Rebirth

The myth of the Phoenix sometimes referred to as a Firebird, is one entwined with life, death and rebirth.

Summary

The myth or legends runs that if a so-called mortal bonds with a phoenix, when the firebird dies and is reborn and rejuvenated in fire, so is the bonded one. If the bonded mortal dies, they can be reborn if the phoenix dies within 24 hours of the mortals "death".
When the Phoenix dies, the bonded one immediately knows and starts to heat up. Legends say that this process is not painful but is destructive to the local environment and any clothing and non-enchanted items seem to act as "fuel" for the fire that starts to consume them, burning their body down to ashes, from which their new, naked and rejuvenated form emerges.

Historical Basis

There is some truth in the myth, the difficulty is in the achieving of the bonding process properly. A Phoenix raised from a chick can easily become friends with a mortal, but a Bonding is rare and each method seems to be unique to each phoenix. Some think, and there is anecdotal evidence to support this, that each bird can only bond once in their lifetime.

Spread

This is a myth spread far and wide, enough that a few places have banned the raising and breeding of Phoenix as they view it as a form of slavery and imprisonment.

Variations & Mutation

One particular variation that seems to hold strong is that the bonded mortal isn't reborn or rejuvenated, but instead dies and is immediately reincarnated into a new form that, like the phoenix chick, grows rapidly to adult size.

Cultural Reception

For cultures that celebrate death, the Phoenix is seen as a herald and blessed creature.

In Literature

Famed explorer, Sir Arthur Figgins is rumoured to have been bonded with a Phoenix, thus explaining his rather long lifespan and the fact that nothing seems to be able to kill him. His book titled "Fire and Life - Myths of the Phoenix" seems to support this idea, but he neither confirms nor denies the fact if asked.