This is a fact – Illyrians are the only candidates from the recorded history that could truly fit this shoe. Their Modus Operandi and notorious reputation were virtually identical to those of sea peoples.
Interesting theory. I suppose a connection could be made between Slavs and Central European toponyms/hydronyms containing the particle “Leb” or “Lab/Alb”, depending on how much evidence can be found to support this.
But the claim that Illyrians are “the only candidates from recorded history” that could truly fit the description of the Sea Peoples, seems a bit overstretched.
The Egyptians were quite accurate when recording ethnonyms. For example, “People of Keftiu” mentioned in Egyptian inscriptions seems to refer to the biblical “Caphtorites” or “Caphtorim”, probably from Crete. In fact, Egyptian art (e.g.,
painting from the tomb of Rekhmire, 2nd register) clearly identifies them as Minoan Cretans.
Here is a better picture of the “People of Keftiu”:
Cretans Bringing Gifts, Tomb of Rekhmire - Wikimedia Commons
The Minoans are easily recognisable by their characteristic colourful loincloths, footwear, long hair and vessels of typical Cretan type.
The
Sea Peoples seem to have been different ethnic groups, one of which is referred to as “Peleset”, probably identical with the biblical Philistines and originally from the Aegean. Another group, the “Lukka” seems to refer to Lycians, from the same region as the Peleset. There are a few others that could be Greeks: Denyen-Danaoi, Ekwesh-Achaeans, etc.
As far as I’m aware, none of these groups are referred to in Egyptian sources by terms resembling “Leb/Lab/Alb” or that would otherwise specifically connect the Sea Peoples with the Slavs.
You might be able to connect the Luwians of Asia Minor with Wilusa a.k.a. Troy, but linking them with Slavs or Illyrians from the Balkans, may prove more difficult.
And what if in some cases “Alb” doesn’t come from a word for “white” but from, say, PIE *
alb "hill” or some other word?
According to Wikipedia, in modern languages the term
alp,
alm,
albe or
alpe refers to grazing pastures, especially but not exclusively, in mountainous areas (German
Bergweide). Although, as the Oxford English Dictionary puts it, it is “of uncertain and perhaps ultimately non-Indo-European origin”.
