Chronicles written in the 16th century imply that she was neither a member of the traditional nobility nor any group integrated with the Christian kingdom under the authority of the Ethiopian Emperor, meaning that her marriage was a major dynastic and political alliance.
[5] By contrast with previous emperors, Seble Wongel was the only wife, which won Lebna Dengel praise from contemporary Christian writers.
The 20th-century record The Goggam Chronicle by Aleqa Tekle Iyesus suggests that Seble Wongel was a descendant of Ğara Šum from Enemay.
According to the Portuguese chronicler Miguel de Castanhoso, Cristóvão da Gama first came across the Queen while she was on top of the mountain of Debre Dammo.
[11]Queen Seble Wongel advised against attacking at the Battle of Baçente, arguing that Gama should wait until her son Emperor Gelawdewos could march north from Shewa and join the Portuguese due to Ahmed Gragn having known of them.
Gragn, after seeing the outnumbered Christian forces, offered to allow Cristóvão da Gama and his Portuguese to return to their country as Seble Wongel had deceived him.
Due to ever decreasing supplies and their opponents refusal to attack, Cristóvão da Gama arranged his forces with the queen at the center and, in the morning of Tuesday April 4, 1542, they began to march towards their enemy.
The Adalites were defeated, with Gragn himself gravely wounded, and Seble's Ethiopian forces reportedly slew the Moors "as if they had been sheep".